Sunday 4 May 2014

Taking stock

The trouble with doing too many lots of projects at once is the feeling of moving in slow motion - nothing seems to be progressing. I know I'm spending hours on it... but where exactly ...?
So I gathered the projects for a quick stocktake.

Here is my Stars meet Hexagons - not looking much different but it has got larger since last report, and there is a lot prepped ready to sew. I am aiming for lap quilt size and still love the fussy cutting.




Here is a quilt I started in my monthly quilt class and posted about here in December - a wedding gift for my niece ( I'm calling it my Double X or Lucy's quilt). It has been all machine pieced in class with one flying geese border ready to add. I've learnt a lot about machine piecing in the process but still don't enjoy it as much as hand work, so it largely only gets worked on in class.

I'm just about to start Block 5 on the Benjamin Biggs BOM - and here are the fabrics selected ready.

There has been progress on my Ann Randoll reproduction - but lately some of it backwards. I'm really enjoying the challenge of this quilt but might need a little extra hair colour added this month (to cover the extra white hairs that Ann has contributed!). Three minor hiccups ...
  • Glue stains. After the pinwheel border comes an applique vine border with an large sawtooth edge. Here is the border attached with the sawtooth completed ready to add the bias and leaves of the vine.
The placement of the bias vine is fairly tricky - so it lines up with the corner feature and there must be enough room for leaves either side - see below.


Well - I decided on my first attempt to try glue (Roxanne bottled glue) to attach the bias strip to the border background ready to applique. But once it dried I found my placement was wrong so removed the bias - only to find some truly nasty glue stains were going to be visible. I washed/scrubbed/soaked it every way possible but they would not come out! So that border had to be scrapped and started again. And the lesson learnt ? extreme caution if anchoring applique with glue! I went back to pins...
Here is the stained reject:

  • The hole - when I unpicked a seam to adjust it (another story). A patched repair.



A patch inserted

Not too noticeable in the scheme of things...
  • Running out of fabric. I realised part way through appliqueing the vine leaves that I had very little of this fabric left and it was not a good feeling as I know it is long out of print. Not easy to work out how much was needed for the rest so I just plodded on regardless. With the help of my lightpad and the back basting prep technique for applique I managed to to wedge the leaves into every skerrick of the remaining fabric, leaving the tiniest seam allowance for needleturn - and just made it - phew!

Pinning for back basting prep on the leaves

some leaves ready for back basting stitching 
nearly finished the vine leaves

Now measures 55 inches square
Plenty more borders to come - just in case anyone thought it might be finished! No rest for the wicked? Next is a wide border of clamshells.

There has been some secret knitting: 

There's been a teeny bit more machine quilting of my Medallion quilt ....


So that's the stock take done - no finishes but lots of "nibbles" of this and that. 

 Autumn has been especially colourful in the Southern Highlands this year. Here is part of my garden.  Yes - am loving the colour of the maples, grapevine and golden ash, but am not loving the colour of the lawn! Actually it is very green under that bird netting :)
The reason for the netting is a desperate woman's defense against a flock of crows who have adopted our hill as their territory. They are usually quite harmless but at the moment have been ripping this lawn to shreds in search of beetles. It seems there's been an infestation of lawn beetles/grubs. I have spread powder to kill the beetles but the crows are not convinced and keep ripping the grass up to check! So the netting is there for a little while... hopefully not long, hehe.

28 comments:

  1. Your projects look beautiful - so does your yard! My yard is white too only with snow - again. How disappointing that the glue did not wash out! You didn't have to discard your carefully appliqued sawtooth border did you? The vine border looks lovely and the top so far is gorgeous pictured on the chair. The clamshells will be fun - I look forward to seeing your progress. Always love to see your Stars meet Hexagons - so pretty!

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  2. I am not counting your projects Hilda but enjoying them all. They look fabulous. Reminds me how much I loved Petra Prins' red quilt seeing yours. Hmmm, might have to do a little something red today. I shall look forward to seeing their progress.

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  3. Oh Hilda, I can empathise with all of those experiences but not in one project - ouch! I admire your persistence, I probably would have lost heart and tossed that quilt into the naughty corner for an extended period of time.

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  4. Oh wow, ....what a fantastic post. I love all your projects. They all really fantastic.
    Greetings Grit

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  5. All so lovely. Good saves on the glue and the hole.....very frustrating but not impossible to fix. Your vines and leaves look magnificent, as does the autumn colour in your garden.

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  6. Love looking at your projects, Hilda. So envious of your Ann Randoll quilt, it's beautiful.
    Well done on fixing your quilt issues, they would have had me in a panic.
    Autumn sure is lovely in your garden.

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  7. Hi HIlda - love all of your projects. Your Ann Randoll is breathtaking. Seeing all of your lovely quilts in progress make me want to sew!

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  8. Your reproduction quilt is wonderful! I use a Clover glue stick. I was initially wary as it is bright blue, but it doesn't stain and it doesn't dry stiff and hard, so I love working with it. It also doesn't stick fast, so you can move your pieces around, even after days.

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  9. I love your Ann Randolph quilt - such a lot of work but worth it. I have glue stick like that now and then but when I put it in the wash it always comes out - you might not plan on washing your quilt though? Sometimes I will let one piece soak for a bit in water and then it comes out. With glue sticks I always have a problem that it doesn't stay stuck long enough for me to work and the piece falls off.

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  10. All of your projects look great, and progress has been made. We quilters would be bored if we only worked on one quilt at a time until completion. I wonder if our fore mothers back in the 1800s only did one quilt at a time or had a basket with a couple UFOs stuffed somewhere in their homes? I have had the same thing happen with the glue but I keep going back to it because I have trouble with the pins shifting a bit and my appliqué pieces moved over a little.

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  11. Your projects are all beautiful, but my favorite is the Ann Randoll. WOW! Even though it has given you a few fits - it is going to be amazing when it's finished. Really too bad about the glue stain, and I love your little "patch" for the hole - no one will notice!

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  12. Oh wow, thanks for sharing your gorgeous projects and your garden. I really enjoy the fussy cutting of the first project, it makes it so special. I am sorry about the border issues you had, that is so frustrating but you managed to make it work out in the end. I love that little patch because one day someone will finally notice it and think...hmm, wonder what happened here? That is not a quilt for the easily intimidated and you are doing a superb job with it. I look forward to the next update!

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  13. No matter the stages you are at on all these beauties - before you know it the final stitches will happen! Have never used glue before when appliqueing...i do prefer innocent little pins. The entire quilt is going to be fabulous & your patience will be rewarded!

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  14. Ann is simply breathtaking. Can't imagine more beauty!

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  15. Your hexie quilt is stunning with all the reds and fussy cutting.

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  16. Your nibbles are always so inspirational. Sorry about your your setbacks, but your solutions paid off. I'm surprised about the Roxanne's Glue. It's the glue I usually use. But I'll be cautious.

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  17. Oh I just love looking at your lovely works in progress! Your Ann quilt is fabulous--truly impressive. Too bad about your glue issues, I'll have to remember that. Thanks so much for sharing your quilty adventures with us, no matter how slow you think it's happening.:)

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  18. You're making wonderful progress, even with a few setbacks! Love what you do!

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  19. You've made fabulous progress on all of your projects!
    They are all wonderful works of art in progress and I am enjoying your journey as you work thru each of them!

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  20. All your projects are truly lovely but your Ann Randolph is amazing.

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  21. Holy Mackerel Hilda! What eye candy on your post today. How frustrating to have the glue remnants left. That is one reason I do not like glue! Your quilt, despite the setbacks is truly amazing!!

    Will the sheeting on your lawn, kill the lawn? Nice idea if it works.

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  22. Everything is just wonderful! Gorgeous quilts and yard. I am sorry you had such a bad time with the border. I hope it is all smooth sailing from now on.
    I use "Elmer's Washable School Glue." in tubes and also the liquid version. I have been using it for decades and never had a problem (Knock on wood). When I stayed in AU, I had brought my own, so I don't know if it is the same brand there. But if you want me to send you some to try, send me an email and I will get it to you. Best of luck.

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  23. I tried glue basting too, and had the same problem. Went back to pins and sometimes I even baste. All of your projects are lovely. But you are so right when you work on too many things you feel as if your spinning your tires with no progress. Crows can be a bit scary, we watched a Hawk yesterday, he swooped down and grabbed a squirrel out of a tree and then killed it. He hovered over it with his wings out as if he was trying to hide what he was doing, and then a few minutes later he flew off with it. I have been using backbasting more on parts of my blocks it sure makes life easier. I was wondering if you just use the paper clips to hold your seams or do you baste your diamonds too?

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  24. Wonderful projects, each so special. Ann Randall is especially nice! Thank you for sharing.

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  25. Your star top is going to be scrumptioud when finished! I love everything about it, the reds, the fussy cutting. And I am in absolute awe of your medallion in progress. It is talented ladies like you that inspired and motivated me to get over my fear of applique and just do it! Thanks for sharing such wonderful works in progress.

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  26. My goodness, you have been through the wars with Ann Randoll. So glad you got it sorted. It is absolutely beautiful.
    Know what you mean about making little progress when you are working on many projects at the same time, but it is so much fun too! Enjoy the journey on each of them.

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  27. You have the most fabulous projects on the go and I love them all. I'd love to have a chat to you about the Ann Randoll quilt, I just did a class based on drafting it

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  28. I am totally in love with your beautiful red stars & hexagons quilt. Red is my absolute favourite colour and I can only dream of having enough variety of fabric (and enough patience) to ever make something like this. It's wonderful!

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