Saturday, July 11, 2009

Finally quilting again... almost.

Well, the nausea has been keeping me down alot. The funny thing is that laying in bed at night groaning about being sick would be a perfect time to do some hand sewing, but first I have to plan a project and cut the fabric. I have finally decided to do that. I am planning out my black and white challenge quilt. Our local guild issued this challenge at the Christmas party last year and it is due at the next Christmas party. I may not make it to any other meetings this year, but I will at least try to make it to that one, because I love the challenge. We were each given a paper bag with one fabric in it and have to use that color along with the black and white fabrics. I got a nice light teal color and even found more of it later.
I collected up my black and whites back at the beginning of the year and they are just sitting there waiting for me to make up my mind. First I had planned to do a Wonky Log Cabin block, then I changed to a Whirligiggle, and now I am finally landing on the tried and true method I have used many times before. It involves all triangles and squares and playing until I get a medallion design of my own that I like.

I like scanning in my fabrics and doing some layouts with my graphics program to get an idea of where to start. But usually I change things after I get the squares and triangles laid out in front of me. The big delimna then however is where to keep the laid out quilt until I can get the sections sewn together. I really need a design wall, but I don't have any felt to hang that would be large enough. Wherever I put this thing is liable to be hit by one of the two small tornadoes that live here. I may have to close off my husband's computer room and set up a table in there just for this.

I have often wanted to bind together a book of sorts that is pretty large and has hard backed felt pages that could have blocks laid out on them then I could just flip it to the next block and assemble and it wouldn't take up much room in the meantimes. Maybe that project will get done one day.

It really is a crime for me to do any quilting right now accept baby quilts, I have so many pregnant friends and even friends whose babies have arrived already. But my excuse is that I have to work with the fabric I have already bought, no more shopping for a while... and I only have so much baby fabric in the stash. I do have enough for two or three, but I can't decide who should get them! So I am avoiding that decision alltogether, and working on a non complicated project.

Hopefully there will be pics of something soon! Hope everyone is having a good summer. I am just wanting the heat wave to end!