2017 has been off to a crazy start. I’m going to my second funeral of the month in 2 days and we have a new car after a teen driver didn’t see our SUV and totaled our car – hers doesn’t look much better. Instead of sewing, it seems like I’ve spent all my free time on the phone with insurance agents, etc.
But I did finally get the border sewn on to the Splendid Sampler. Actually I had originally planned on 2 borders but after putting the first one on, I laid it on the bed it’s going to be on after I finish it and it was plenty big enough, even laying underneath it. This is how I end up with so many scraps!
It’s not as if I have years of experience with this long arm, so the quilting is turning out to be its own form of a sampler quilt.
Some I’ve used a ruler for straight lines, others I’ve sewn around an appliqued piece(s) in the middle, some have swirls or pebbles, etc.
I spent the most time trying to figure out what I was going to do with the quarter square triangles since I knew I wanted them to be consistent. I finally decided to stitch in the ditch around all sides, and then stitch a heart with a ribbon on each side on the light fabrics. It’s quick but hopefully has enough interest to differentiate it from the rest of the blocks.
In the meantime, my sister finally got the quilt kit I ordered for her in early December for a quilt-along that started mid-January. And she’s leaving on vacation in a couple of days for a week and a half.
We knew we weren’t going to make much headway on this, but I suggested we at least get started. She started a video call with me and with each of us on our own featherweight, we got to work.
Actually the first thing we did was to organize her fabric, putting the cut pieces into baggies by week and then starting with week 1 into small baggies for each of the different cut sizes – I bought hers as a pre-cut but bought mine as yardage and cut it.
She finally figured out I was snapping photos of her sewing – haha! We didn’t make much headway but we did at least have fun and it’s a great way to sew together with 2 people in different states.
Oh! And as an added bonus, I finally found out how to make a quilt in EQ7 that uses a variety of block sizes. Not that I have anything planned, but I wanted to know how to make a quilt that uses 3 or 4 different block sizes. It turns out it’s super easy. On the main menu, go to Quilt, New Quilt, then scroll down to Custom Set. Go to layer 2 and bring the blocks in there as you normally would. Now comes the magic – click on the adjust button – the one circled on the right. And you can drag the block to any size. This opens up a whole new ball game for me!
I am glad you have found joy in the midst of heartache and that quilting gives you comfort.
Keeping busy definitely helps!
Sorry about the funerals and hopefully working on your wonderful quilt can give you some comfort and distraction.
It definitely has! I was a musician at the funeral today, and thought later this afternoon that all these other things have really helped take the stinger out of my mom’s passing.
Your quilt is coming along beautifully – you’ve been very brave with your long arm & it looks to be paying off.
Glad no one was hurt in the accident.
Thank you! I’m on a long arm group and there are a couple of people in there who’ve had a long arm for months and months and are too scared to use it. I just want to show up at their front door and show them how much fun it is!
That’s the spirit!
Your splendid sampler is looking splendid and the quilting is an inspired idea. And what fun to get to quilt with your sister even though you are in different states. Enjoy the heck out of that, sisters don’t last forever I found out.
Yes, unfortunately you and I both know that. 2 of my 3 sisters are deceased, as are both of my brothers. I’m sorry for your loss!
What a crazy week for you. I’m loving your ribbon hearts, and the way you are forging ahead with your long arm. I get way to caught up trying to plan the quilting then I second guess myself. So fun to get to sew with your sis via video conference!
This quilt is beautiful. I love all the detail.
Sorry to hear about your accident.
Thank you!
How fun to video sew with your sister! Glad that only the vehicles were messed up though.
Yes, definitely agree with you on that. Both parties went to the ER but that’s better than the alternative.