Blue Skies: Finished

There were only two games Friday and they finished quite early. Before and after, I had a little space to myself to do some quilting.

Thanks for the help, Dad!

 This entire project was an experiment from start to finish. Completely improv pieced background. Using two different degree dresden rulers and random length wedges.

I dabbled a little more with free-motion quilting and tried variegated threads and a little bit of wool. I wanted the sun to be less separate from the background and tried free-handing some flames.

Finished size is about 35x39". Backed and bound in a pale blue Kona.

I added pocket pockets on the back for hanging it. I won't show you the back though.  I will concede some tension issues. The variegated threads were much thicker than I normally use and I have to keep the tension on the top ratcheted up to the maximum when free-motioning. Finding the balance between speed, top tension and thread breakage point was a challenge. Much learned. The perfectionist in me has been persuaded to let it go.

It will be headed overseas shortly as a gift for a friend who doesn't read this blog. :-)

***

My scrappy afghan is coming along.  I was about 16" into the fourth panel when I picked it up last week. Now the fourth panel is complete and I've cast on the fifth and hopefully final panel.  

Most of them are capped with an off-white, which you can't see because of the sun coming in the windows. The last one has a brown top on it. However, if the plan comes to together (and I love it when a plan comes together.... A-Team, anyone? No?) then the top will actually be the side when it's finished.  Once sewn, I intend to throw it in the washer and give it a good felting, or at least a fulling. I am already well-aware that this could go horribly, horribly awry. Much like some of the hockey games I've watched while knitting it.  Of the three teams out right now, two I was sad to see go.  Sharks - my heart is bleeding for you, but you gotta show up, guys. My western hopes (the east is still too open but go, Bruins!) are now solely pinned on the Preds. I can think of a few people in need of a Weber-ing. 

Still here...

Things have been busy.

I wrote a final today, the last of my degree, and have a paper due Thursday morning.  Then that about does it.  I'll have a new batch of letters to add behind my name.  On my first day of classes back in '97, I went to the campus pub with some friends and had a beer.  On my last day of classes last week, I did the same, bookending my educational journey so far. The pub is extremely different now. I suppose I am, too.

I manage to get a few things done in the last little while that weren't school-related.  Blue Skies is basted.

My spiderweb quilt was laid out, sewn together, freed from its paper backings, and basted. My sweater finished, though I don't have pictures yet.

Thank you gifts made and sent, with more on that later. A resolution to be more social this summer was made and has so far been acted upon.  It's been a whirlwind.

I'm tired. LOL. I've applied for my certification and am readying my applications for jobs. I'll have to pick up something for the summer, too. I'll get to that, just not immediately. Working doesn't bother me but I dislike job-hunting. It ranks right up there with funerals and infomercials for me. I think I'll take a little breather first, tackle some of the things on the unfinished list. I figure I've earned it.

Blue Skies

Okay, so no sewing again this week.  But I still have a thing or two to share from my rampage sewing weekend last month.

Dresden wedges before sewing. I take a photo to check placement as I go. Yes, the lighting is abysmal...

I was experimenting with improv piecing.  I'd actually started this project before Christmas but set it aside in the chaos and hadn't come back to it yet.  It started off with a delighting over Kona solid fat quarters at my local and an idea to use the dresden wedge rulers I'd picked up ages ago and hadn't touched yet.  I wanted to see if I could use different wedge shapes and lengths and still end up with something not entirely ugly.  Then I grab a bunch of blues as well and went to town.

I started with strips in various widths, sewing random strips together.  Then I cut those strips in various widths, and started making blocks.  Once I had most of the pieces in large chunks, I started fitting them all together and using leftovers to fill the gaps.  I placed them around a plain square where I thought my dresden would go. Who wants to cover up all that piecing?? Not this guy, though she occasionally rethinks her choices.*

Eventually, I had a squarish wall-hanging-sized top and I appliquéd my sun to it.  This is how it looks so far.

I am planning to free-quilt the heck out of it with all kinds of thread and embellishment so that the sun doesn't look like a bunch of solids sewn together all crazy-like. It's going to take some nerve-building to get to that point.  I'm a little nervous that what I envision in my head won't translate to the fabric. You probably won't see it for a while but I thought I'd share it anyway. Another work in progress for the pile, which I'm totally going to tackle.  And soon.  Just not today. :-)

Have a great weekend!

*I almost wish I'd done it all in batiks but I'm not about to tear it apart.  Plus, sometimes the all-batik quilts get a patina of boring over them.  Not all, but some.  I think it's a "too much of a good thing" issue.  They are lovely to sew with though, even if the odd batik causes me to wrinkle my nose with an 'ew' for colour and pattern..