Sunday, September 09, 2007

I finally finished these socks, and I'm glad to see the back of that wool. It's getting too warm to knit anyway, and too warm to wear socks, but at least I got these off the needles at last. They are lovely to wear, so I'm pleased with the result, but I didn't enjoy the knitting much.
I have been hand-quilting my little doll quilt, and it's so relaxing. I tried to do the lines freehand, but I didn't like the result, so I used Magic Tape to quilt next to, and that worked well. It's a bit firmer than masking tape, and never leaves a residue, so I prefer it for quilting. I think I'm gong to do a Welsh design in the borders, just arcs and infill, but I will try and loosen up a bit and not mark too much. We'll see how that goes.....I started my exercise for Tonya's free-piecing class. I really do like making these, and I got even more daring and ripped the fabric into strips instead of cutting. It was sheer laziness on my part, because I didn't even have to get up from my chair when I wanted new strips; just a snip and rip and it was done. I would never do that with my good fabrics and regular piecing, but it's working brilliantly with these wonky letters.

It's Hard to make them wonky! They want to be regular and nice and boring, but I'm concentrating and forcing them to be a bit offbeat. They still look pretty normal to me, so I'm going to have to get wilder in my snipping, ripping, stitching and slashing. And that 'b'? Was supposed to be an 'a' but I sort of started off back to front. You have to be a bit flexible with this sort of sewing.

The class is so much fun; when I signed up for it I expected it to help me rewrite my attitude towards piecing, but a valuable side-effect is the contact with quilters I might never normally have run across, and their different views and ideas are really inspiring. I have followed links to places I wouldn't have found on my own, and read articles that are so interesting and pertinent, and seen work that makes me think outside my comfy little box. I'm loving it.

And, like Mereth, I'm using my hand-dyes for my Tonya letters, because the rest of my stash is pretty inaccessible right now, with all the work going on in my sewing room. Guess I'll have to let you know what I'm up to soon, but not today....

8 comments:

  1. The green socks look nice, despite the yuckiness of knitting them.And the quilting on the doll quilt looks lovely, so regular and even.You can have fun in the border,be as Welsh as you like.
    The letters lok great, I love the A and the b especially.
    I know your secret but I aint sayin'.....

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  2. the letters are coming well Keryn. One trick I learned when I started Tonya's wonky letters is they look wonkier if you angle the background pieces over the letter pieces a little so the letter strips all are angled, not nice straight widths...

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  3. Love your socks!
    Love your hand quilting!
    Love your letters!
    I'm impressed with them alll.

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  4. Your hand quilting looks great. Tiny and even stitches.
    Have fun with the wonky letters. They look great.
    I love the socks. Could you tell me what pattern you used? I have been looking for a pattern that turns heels that way.

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  5. Very nice socks. Lovely doll quilt. Letters are great. Enjoy!!!

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  6. I love the green socks - definitely sock time here now. And your letters are super - I especially like your A. Can't wait to get going on my own letters!

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  7. One way to ensure wonkiness? Use the rotary cutter and cut some angled strips. Then use them as they are. I would also suggest you use some wider strips. right now these letters are all pretty skinny. Mixing the wide strips with the narrow gives you more variety. I can see a "boo" but that's just me with halloween on the brain. you're doing great and I'm glad you're enjoying the class. It's fun to see you and Mereth using the same fabric, but with completely different results.

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  8. Love this post as much as all your others. I love your doll quilt, & those socks look soooo comfortable!! I have had good weather for knitting but didnt get a pair started. What a waste of cold damp weather!
    You letters look fun.
    Computer probs, so all hooked on trying to sort those out. I wish I had a brain.... or even half of one!

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