AHIQ - share your improv #25

I guess if I say I'm still printing it won't come as much of a surprise, but just look at how many different ways I can cross things off one list.

Luckily the second page has less on it.

I've also been slowly building up the other bits and pieces that I hope will go into this, and at the moment my piles look like this.

Before I started, what I had in my head was a bit like this: the printed strips interspersed with water-y hsts.

But as I printed and printed I  started to wonder if it might be more interesting to add in an extra element, like this.

As you can undoubtedly tell, nothing is sewn here, bar the lighthouse.  I am just laying bits out on the floor to give a feel of what I've been thinking.  Of course this means that once I start proper piecing everything may change, but this is where my head is for now.

An InLinkz Link-up

Ticking over

It was the hourglasses turn today, and I've made some good progress.  It is now the desired rectangle shape (not as long and skinny as in the pic - that's just the camera angle).  

Next up is a skinny border - first bit on already at the top and I'm playing around with the other 3 sides.

 After that I'm going to lay out all my leftover bits and see what I can do with them.

Saturday photos #86

All the fun of the fair.

Keeping time

I knew that if I tried working on too many things my brain would start to overheat and that's definitely what's happening.  I thought I would keep it simple and only work on one project on any given day.  The problem with that theory is that it would mean I didn't finish printing my words until 2018. Honestly, it would have probably taken more time if I had decided to hand embroider a prolonged rant about the state of the universe (and don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind) but it would be a close call.  So I am trying to get a bit done every day.  As a result my poor hourglasses are a bit neglected and when I do look at them I am finding it hard to remember what I thought I was doing.  

However, I made a bit of progress this morning.

These two bits have actually been sewn together, but the sun came out and all my photos featured a large white diamond of light plus darkness all around - not much use at all.  I also need to point out that the curve between the two bits is just a feature created by my slapping stuff down on the floor willy-nilly, rather than the shape of the pieces.  

I know that I want to make it a bit longer next, and have a random selection of hourglasses sitting in a pile, but when they are used up I am out of the purple.     

Quick quilting update

Just in case you thought I wasn't quilting at the moment, here's a quick shot of the latest quilt in the hoop.

This is the last of my Quilty 365 tops from last year.  It nearly missed its turn, as I was a bit unsure about how to quilt something that already had embroidery, but in the end, as you can see, I just decided to keep things nice and simple.

Linking up with Kathy today for Slow Sunday Stitching.

Saturday photos #85

It's been ages since I've done one of these posts but here's a peek at the piece of the French coast we visited this summer.  The little huts are for fishermen  (and you can probably guess how many photos I have of them) - if you look carefully at the top right you can see the net, which is raised and lowered with a crank. 

Not forgetting the shirt

I'm still stamping.  It's a big job, but I'm aiming to do the whole forecast; if it doesn't all fit on the front of a quilt, then some of it can go on the back.  In the meantime I have been thinking about what will go with the words.  

First off, I have not forgotten my aim (which I think I have said out loud) to use recycled shirts in every project this year.  Now, that doesn't sit quite so well this time, as my starting point is the shipping forecast rather than just a bundle of fabrics that takes my fancy.  But I am not going to give up that easily so have dug out this lovely number.

I recently fell in love with a top Tonya Ricucci was sharing on instagram.  When I made All at Sea I spent ages wondering about different ways to get a the feel of waves but nothing I thought of was as good as this.  So I am thinking I will try something similar, and mix it up with bits from this shirt.  Might look nothing like the sea, but it's working in my head so that's my starting point.  In the meantime, though, more printing...

Time is flying past

Back to the hourglass quilt,having not looked at it for nearly a month, one way or another.  As usual I laid it out without much regard for where things had gone previously, but all I have at this point is several biggish chunks.  I moved them around a bit and went from this...

...to this.

Some of the considerations driving me now are practical: things were getting very square and on balance I prefer to end up with a rectangle; I'm trying to think about the spread of my fabrics and don't have masses of the strong purple left now.  At the moment I could easily turn this into 50" square, but am aiming to get to 50"x60" and then maybe see what I can do by way of borders.  I probably need to use more of the dirty yellow and have lots of the black floral and a fair range of scraps, but I'll fill in up the side and across the bottom first and then see where the fancy takes me.  

All at Sea: done and dusted

The good thing about not being quite able to get all your binding stitched down before you go on holiday is that you're really, really close to a finish when you come back and pick up a needle again.  All at Sea is finally finished, probably two months after I first thought the end was in sight, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

This is a long quilt and I nearly despaired of getting a picture of the whole thing in one go; even my trusting washing line wasn't quite up to the job.  The two best shots I've come up with are on kitchen floor,

and this one, behind which lurks a husband, balancing on a stepladder and telling me to hurry up because his arms hurt.

Here's the back...

...the binding...

...and a couple of close-ups.

Details:
48"x 72".  

Quilt and backing made from stash fabrics.  I think most of the prints that leap out at you are Janet Clare (some Hearty Good Wishes and some Nocturne).  As a side note, Janet Clare is one of the designers whose fabrics I particularly miss while I'm just buying organic.  

Wadding is Hobbs wool.  Handquilted using Aurifil Lana (again) but also Madeira Lana, which was new to me and is pretty much like the Arifil but came in a couple of pleasing variegated threads.  I'm not sure anyone will notice that, but I know and it pleases me.

I pieced this between 9th May and 22nd July 2016.  

Quilting started 14th May, finished 5th September 2017.  Now that I see those dates I am thinking, 'blimey, this one took me ages' but the previous quilt got done really fast, so I guess it all balances out in the end.

I should also mention that this quilt would never have been made without the inspiration of Julie's book, 'The Free Pieced Barn Project.  It has it's own blog, so if you want to learn more, you can check it out here.

Linking up today with NinaMarie for Off the Wall Friday and TGIFF at Devoted Quilter.

Quick start

More like a slow start, actually.  I wanted to participate in Ann's AHIQ challenge to make something incorporating words and since time is running out, I am going to try doing more than one project at a time.  A few of you may remember that last time I let my projects proliferate I ended up feeling like my head was going to explode, but hopefully this will be manageable.

As a result, instead of getting out my piecing this morning, I set to work printing the words I want to use.  After a couple of hours I have made some progress, but there's still a heap to do.

When I can't get to sleep (which is often) I listen to Radio 4, and then, when it goes off air, to the World Service. Between the two comes the shipping forecast and that's where I'm getting my words for this project (here's a link which will take you to today's forecast).  There's a lot to be printed, but I've made a good start and at least I have a good idea of what I'm going to try and do with them. Having said that, I don't remember the last time something worked out the way I expected!