My TGIFFs are blocks for various projects to be honest.
I'm a member of the Do. Good Stitches Cherish circle and the brief for December (which got postponed to January, thank goodness!) was 'grey and pink heart blocks.
I'm much happier with this nine-patch. I used one of my variagated Aurifil trial threads to blanket stitch around the central heart. Sewed beautifully but I think it needs a satin stitch to really show its potential. I backed it with wash-away stabiliser. I'm new to stabiliser so not really sure when I should use it and when I shouldn't and how to attach it. Tips appreciated.
I also started a Facebook Bee for our Quilt Club Australia. There are 12 of us, and we've taken a month each. Erin of MissyMacCreations asked for a scrappy string block for January. Now here's a question? Do you ever lose your sew-jo? This should have been SO easy, but I buggered it up again and again... I don't know how I did it, but I did it. The air was blue and by the time I finished, my shoulders were so tense you could have broken rocks on them with a sledgehammer and I wouldn't have noticed. Scrappy is NOT my thing. I MUST colour coordinate. It stressed me out having to not match.
Anyway, TGIFFriday is all I can say!!! Happy weekend to you!
Your heart blocks are cute Laura and I love your string block. Turned out great. Don't get so stressed. Have you tried shutting your eyes and just pulling out a piece and using it no matter what ?
ReplyDeleteI just finished a string quilt top. It took me only two years (haha), and all the while I thought of my blocks how awful and messy they look. So I get your point. But now that they are all joined together, it somehow really works! I'm sure Erin will love your block!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura, love the heart blocks. You know that string block is beautiful, I find they take too much sewing then never seem stable for my liking but I love the look of them and wish I could get into sewing them so I get how you feel, some blocks are like that hey.
ReplyDeleteIt takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round, right? I am the exact opposite - anything improv, scrappy, skewed....bring it on. The reason I can relate to this post is because my first quilt of the year is coordinated! and has matching seamlines! and is square! It almost hurts to quilt outside of the comfort zone. I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for trying something out of your comfort zone -- it looks great, Laura!
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad that the scrappy stressed you out. They do the opposite for me. All your blocks look great.
ReplyDeleteLovely! I think your scrap block looks amazing, but in my own work, I suffer the same affliction. I actually try to buy everything from the same collection for most of my quilts, just so I know it all matches/coordinates and I don't have to worry about it.
ReplyDeleteI've done a lot of string quilt tops...and most of them were color coordinated. yellows and browns, purples and browns, all blues, etc.
ReplyDeleteI learned in sewing club at church. We've had so many donations of fabrics and scraps that it's not hard to color coordinate.
I had to crack up at the feelings of needing to match! I have done the string block and was frustrated at that very same issue (that and I used the method where one tears the paper off the back, Next time I think I am going to try the foundation method!). As always you, you did a fabulous job on your blocks and I am sure everyone is going to be super-pleased with what they get from you!
ReplyDeleteHee hee, way to suck it up on the scrappy thing :oD I think I recognise a bunch of the fabrics you used
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