Tuesday 31 October 2017

A little bit of actual stitching

Having spent the better part of two days sitting in an unheated house while a gas engineer charged me an arm and a leg to fix my boiler, a process which took longer and cost a whole lot more than I would have wished, I am thinking that maybe instead of quilting I should use my spare time to learn a handy skill like, let's say, how to how to do boiler repairs.

At least I got some work done in the garden, which was distinctly warmer than the house, and a wee bit of piecing too, though I was limited by the need to keep most of the floor clear.  

Currently this is what I've got.
 Unlike my previous posts, where a lot of stuff was just sitting on the floor, I have a good proportion of this stitched together.  

I realise that I have been struggling with the idea that this piece is going to consist almost entirely of quilt-wide rows.  Maybe that's how it will end up, and there is a strong argument for that but I have decided to approach it by making this chunk, (until I'm level with the bottom of the lighthouse) and then start on the next.  I might well carry on across, but it leaves me head-space for  shuffling things around a bit if I want to.  

In the meantime, I am completely out of white/cream fabrics.  This is one of those moments when I think about abandoning my self-imposed rules since I can't find an organic option, but instead I am off tomorrow to search for a couple of nice white shirts.  

15 comments:

Julierose said...

I really love how this is coming along; I especially like the yellow of that lighthouse...I find it amazing that you find and use shirts for these quilts. Hugs, Julierose

Kat Scott said...

Looking good... best of luck with the white shirts!

em's scrapbag said...

Sorry for the expense of home repairs, such a bummer. Hope you are warmer now. Your quilt is coming along nicely.

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

I hope you find joy st the righ shirts in your search. Sorry to hear about the boiler repairs, that sounds tedious.

Janie said...

I enjoy your sense of balance and playfulness in this quilt.
If I had more storage room I'd stock up on 2nd hand utility fabrics
and quilting cottons too.

Ann said...

Boilers are like roofs; we don't need to replace them often but they do cost. At least you should be good for another 20 years.
I like your quilt, especially adding the lighthouse. If you're bored with horizontal rows think what else is around the ocean. Dolphins, whales, sandpipers, seagulls, albatross (is the plural albatrosses or albatrosi?). Telescopes look like lighthouses on their sides... Just thinking out loud.

Paulette said...

Sorry about your boiler. I sure do enjoy watching your quilts emerge. Hope you found some white shirts.

cspoonquilt said...

I like all the different sized HSTs it reminds me of the ocean, for sure.

patty a. said...

That is a bummer about your boiler and two days without heat. An the unplanned expense takes time to mentally absorb kind of like me having to buy a car without any notice or planning! That was definitely not in my budget. The quilt top is coming along nicely.

Carli The Quilter said...

learning a new trade has been mechanics for us. but I love your blue progress!

Janice Holton said...

I love your ocean looking blues. Have you thought about throwing in a few snail trail blocks? If you search google images and just put in "snail trail quilt", there was one that actually has a lot of the same colors you are using and it looks like ocean waves! Just a thought. :)

Monica said...

I see I've been seriously MIA, because this is the first time I'm grasping this project. What a great idea! Love the crisp blue and white, love the strong horizontals, love the "shipping forecast" inspiration! I'm looking forward to the next step. :D

Mystic Quilter said...

Only just catching up on blog posts and this is the first time I have seen this quilt in progress! I love that you're using blue and white, and the lovely half square triangles. Not much fun spending a couple of days without heating!

Mary Marcotte said...

A week. One week, and you've got all manner of things going on. I'm catching up, too, and love this new lighthouse quilt. The yellow of the house looks great against your blues.
Sorry about the boiler. Advantages of having a mechanically-inclined hubby: not having to wait on someone else and not handing over money to same someone.

Unknown said...

Wow really glad i came across your internet site, i??ll be sure to visit back now i??ve bookmarked it??. sewing machine online