Wednesday, August 27, 2008

QUILT CLUTTER

Well, it finally happened. My sewing room is such a mess that I can't work in it any longer, and I have moved my sewing machine to the kitchen. I have actually had it in the kitchen for a couple of weeks, and I keep saying that as soon as I finish this project I will clean up the kitchen table AND my sewing room! But, like the nervous tic that has developed in my husband's right eye, this project just won't go away! (Yes, he has been patient, but has trouble with clutter. How have we lasted 40 years together? He travels a lot!)

The project? Well, you may recall the 4-patch quilt I showed a while back. I decided that I wanted to do a cute little border to make it unique among 4-patch quilts. So on to EQ6 for a little design help. After auditioning borders, I decided to add a few flying geese. Have you ever tried the paper pieced flying geese? I bought these Sew and Fold on a Roll a while back, from the makers of Triangles on a Roll. You pre-cut all the pieces and just Sew and Fold! It is pretty slick.
The above photo shows one corner of the quilt with the flying geese. The opposite corner looks like this as well, and the other two just have 4-patches in the corners. This quilt is for my nephew's new baby boy, but his broher is also having a baby boy in September. So, since I already had all the scraps out for this quilt, I decided to make another 4-patch quilt for the next baby. The top went together quickly, since I had leftover pieces from quilt #1. I was pretty pleased with myself, feeling well ahead of the game. I went back to EQ6 for another border idea and decided on one that I liked. The second quilt will have little Friendship Stars in the border.

Since I am working in the kitchen, I snapped a photo of all the little stars in the cabinet with a few blue items that I display there. Now I am feeling so proud of myself for getting this far! I sew the little stars into strips for the border and lay them around the quilt. That is when I realize that I meant to have white stars with blue background. As you can see from the photo with the flying geese, the geese are white and the background is blue. It just flows better with the blue squares that make up the rest of the border. So AAAKKK!
More cutting, more sewing and more pressing and here come more stars. Only this time they are white with blue background. Yes, they are still in progress. Yes, the kitchen is still Sewing Central, and yes, I now feel it is necessary to increase the Prozac doses that I have been sprinkling on my husband's cereal each morning.

Will she ever get back to the sewing room? Well, I am not going to tell you to tune in next time, I am not that optimistic! But I will return with a report of something!

Have a happy scrappy day!

19 comments:

Helen said...

Hi Marcie, Could you provide me with an URL (link) to where I could order the Sew and Fold on a Roll online? Thanks. Helen

Anonymous said...

oh my, poor husband! and where will you go once the kitchen becomes too messy!? Love the quilts! (and a message for your DH: be strong, this too shall pass.....)

Ruth said...

You just can't beat basic patchwork. I love the quilt. I might need to try the paper piecing for flying geese also. I love them, but don't like to make them very much...

Janet said...

The flying geese look great with the four patch quilt! I can't wait to see the friendship star border too. I love flying geese but I've never tried paper piecing them. I might have to get some of that roll too.

Libby said...

Maybe our Hubby's could start their own support group . . . I've moved operations to the dinner table, too *s*

What will happen to those blue stars? Can't wait to see.

Mar said...

I can certainly relate, my whole condo is a quilt mess! but I don't have a hubby to worry about. Love your quilt, I really really love those little blue stars!

MARCIE said...

At Helen's request I went back and added links to Triangles on a Roll and also EQ, which I meant to do in the first place! Both are favorite manufacturers of mine!

Liz said...

Okay, that's it, I'm going to have to have another baby just so I can get a Marcie quilt! Wait....my tubes have been tied for over 15 years, dang! Maybe I could adopt. Really, Marcie, that quilt is beautiful!! I love it! (just as I love all your creations!)

Paula said...

Love your four patch! I know the other will be cute too! And, you will return to the sewing room....you will!!! Just get this project behind you. Then, issue a challenge to everyone to clean up their room. Get some peeps to help motivate.

sewprimitive karen said...

I'm adopting a little baby quite soon, Marcie and so you need to send me a new quilt, too :-). Post pictures of your sewing room, I absolutely have to see what it looks like now, I hafta. Must try the flying geese doo-dad haven't seen that before and it looks great.

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

Fantastic quilt in my favorite colors... love it all, even thinking about sewing in the kitchen. Hey, it's closer to the food... :)

*karendianne. said...

Oh Marcie! I love this project you're working on. You're so "my style" I gotta tell ya. Plus, you're in the kitchen. Karen's Quilt Shop is located in the Kitchen. I never was able to move out of there! I took over the pantry for my fabric and relocated all the food, too!!! hee.

Kitchen Quilters Love, *karendianne.

Judy said...

Well I made my own flying geese on a row and made over 12o of them. Easy peasy when you have the paper!

Looks fabulous so far!

Karen said...

Oh, I do like the blue & white project you are working on. I am a blue and white kinda person even though I seem to like brown best. Looking forward to seeing the finished project.
It's a good thing that clutter doesn't bother my husband.

Kim said...

I think when you start decorating the kitchen with bits and pieces of quilt blocks, it's time to admit you may have a little bit of a problem. Do you still have my address, Marcie? If mailing a bunch of your fabric and/or blocks and/or quilts off to me for safe keeping would help you, I'd be willing to lend a hand.

Your helpful friend, as always,

Kim

Nana B said...

Hey, is sounds more like you need to expand the sewing room, maybe knock out a wall or two into the guest room or family room. I didn't knock out walls but I did expand into the family room, the part that was supposed to be DH's place for trains. NOT!!! But thankfully mine is all downstairs so unless company is "family style" they aren't subjected to my quilting mess. And you know what, you might know a carpenter or two who could help. Just send DH off on a trip.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

It sounds like you have great plans for the quilts, and, well, people will remember the quilts long after they forget about the mess in the kitchen.

Deb Silva said...

The Sew and Fold on a Roll looks interesting. It's too bad about all of you little stars. Looks like you had a 3rd quilt design in the back of your mind that you didn't even know about. LOL

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

I love your flying geese in the border - I haven't tried that paper yet, but had good results with the no waste method. Whatever works - that is what is so fun about quilting - many different ways of doing things! I've been sewing in my "kitchen" all summer, ha - it was ripped out 2 years ago and we haven't put it back in yet (I have a different kitchen to cook in anyway). I like being in the center of the house, so to speak, LOL!
Cheers!
Evelyn