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| My Pfaff Expression 3.5 sewing machine, intuitive and 'charming.' |
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| My deconstructed butterfly quilt now being reconstructed! |
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| The new backing fabric for my butterfly quilt, pinned and ready for hand quilting. |
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| 'Atmosphere' lights and 2018 cow/farm calendar with bits of color inspiration. |
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| Hand quilting started with cotton pearl #12. |
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| Seer Sucker black and white for new binding, think 'utility'. |
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| My zipper pouch keeps my spools of thread, I like the texture and the utility look. |
Happy Weekend! from the Pacific NW where we have warm temperatures and clear skies.
And I've been doing some rethinking about some of my projects especially after visiting Jillayne and Karen , two textile artists extraordinaire. They do thoughtful beautiful work and get it done in a timely fashion. It's not that they exhaust themselves, I think balance is the word.
I had finished my small butterfly quilt a couple of weeks ago with machine quilting. And the more I looked at it the more I didn't like that machine quilting. Another of my blog friends was in the process of deconstructing a worn antique quilt with the thoughts of repairing and reusing the blocks in a new quilt.
If these people can take time to lovingly stitch and create and repair then I think I can do that too.
So I unpicked the machine quilting on my butterfly quilt, not as bad as you might think, and took the layers apart. I had used a thin batting, Quilter's Dream, and it was too thin, it didn't give the body I wanted. So I replaced that with Warm and Natural, much better. I also gave it a new backing. I had bought a yard of a black and white butterfly fabric just to use on this quilt but for some reason I had whipped up an improve backing and used that instead. So that improv backing will get repurposed.
And now I'm hand quilting with cotton pearl #12 and it looks like I wanted it to look.
I'm happy about that.
So my thoughts through all this are 'Why must we always be in a hurry?'
Is there some book deadline to meet? No. Are we in a contest to see who can punch out the most quilts? Not me anyway.
Why do I stitch and quilt and blog? I enjoy it and reading about other textile/sewing/quilt artists' adventures and methods. Just have to clarify that once in a while!
My zipper pouch, black and white, made with quilted scrap fabric and 'made' fabric, I like looking at because it says 'utility' and 'useful' to me. I made it using MSQC's Zippered Pouch YouTube tutorial.
Good tutorial, easy to follow and you can add your own touches.
My zipper pouch, black and white, made with quilted scrap fabric and 'made' fabric, I like looking at because it says 'utility' and 'useful' to me. I made it using MSQC's Zippered Pouch YouTube tutorial.
Good tutorial, easy to follow and you can add your own touches.
So I hope you take time to visit the blogs I've linked for some relaxed beauty.
And just be thankful, the best things in life are free.
I'll be by to visit!
12 comments:
I agree - Jillayne and Karen are both such incredible inspirations! But, truth be known - I'd add YOU to that same list. Sometimes you just have to deconstruct in order to be happy with something so I understand the 'why' of it.
A hobby should be enjoyable and to rush it would be wrong. I am happy you found your pace, took the time to deconstruct the quilt and put it right. Now you have something to be very happy about.
Your sewing corner is so nice.
Happy creating, in slow tempo!
I'm with you. I don't understand all the hurry-hurry-hurry stuff at all. I grew up in the era when a quilt was a time commitment of at least a year - the pieces were cut individually with scissors, hand-pieced, and then the hand-quilting started. This quick-quilts concept is a hard one for me to grasp.
This is not to say I don't love my rotary cutter and sewing machine with all my heart. But I'm in it for the enjoyment of the process, not for the total output. Some quilts want to be machine-quilted, but some will only be their best if hand-quilted. Every quilt deserves the amount of time it needs to be done right.
Enjoy the process and happy quilting!
Sometimes I hurry just to be finished and then am not satisfied with the result. We must ake time in order to be happy with the finish.
Good for you - all that unpicking! At least now you will end up with the look you wanted, so it's worth the time and effort. It's always good to remind ourselves of priorities - the pleasure is in the journey and expressing ourselves, not in winning a 'how many quilts have I made today?' contest.
Deciding to unsee is difficult but once you reach that point, it’s much better to do it. I’ve been thinking about why I’m not working on more difficult pieces and taking more time. Whenever one quilt is finished I just start another so it would be smarter to take more time.
Love the colors of your butterfly quilt and their Indian Hatchet wings. Thanks also for the idea to put thread in a handmade bag. Something to consider.
Yes, Kaja, 'the pleasure is in the journey and expressing ourselves,' projects can and do actually
get done that way!
Thank you, Queenie!
I know I've told you before, but I just love the look of your butterfly quilt. And now the new backing is a perfect complement! It's terribly hard to decide to rip out anything in a finished quilt, so much more to be ripping out quilting stitches I'm sure. The thing is, if it's wrong, you know it and there's really no other choice unless you decide to let it be and then be unhappy with it forever! I really thought about your question about why we're in a hurry and why we are quilting/blogging. For me it's that I love and adore the 'making'. So one quilt finished and there's a whole bunch right behind it. The hand quilting that I do is what provides me with the most balance I think because that part is never truly 'fast'! If I do any machine quilting, it's usually because I'm not as emotionally invested in that quilt and will probably be giving it away eventually. But that's just me! I guess we all have our reasons!
oh my...thanks for the compliment (big smiles here) timely manner though? not so sure about that lol. I agree about being in a hurry. I'm never in a hurry wioth my embroidery, I embrace the time consuming and monotonous.I don't unbderstand the need for a quick fix with sewing. I sew for pleasure...extend the pleasure...wallow in the pleasure...take your time.
Also....in the supermarket...I actively seek out a queue. I prefer to slowly pass through that checkout line, much less stressful.
And thank you for the beautiful images today...xxx
You're welcome, Karen.
I do the same at the supermarket!
Your new class looks great.
I love all the things you share and see your beautiful creation. Thank you for sharing with everyone. I know everything about you. It's great and it's great.
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