Friday, May 11, 2012

I Defeated the Rat's Nest...



Or I at least finished the quilt! This morning I decided I was tired of this unfinished quilt taunting me... I had been avoiding it because I didn't know what to do about this.  Today I reminded myself that the purpose of this quilt was to learn how to do some new things... and to finish it... so I re-pinned the crap out of what was left to quilt and finished quilting the darn thing.

While I was at it... I decided to try machine binding the whole quilt... and it went okay.  I am thinking I probably wont be hand-stitching any binding again for awhile. 


This quilt is certainly not perfect... but I am glad I finished it and I learned a ton along the way. 

 

I tried to get a few pictures while I still had some decent light... it is currently in the wash (and I am praying the thing stays together). At least I have evidence that I actually finished!


And while I was sewing... Lucy was smelling the fresh air and taking in some sun :) Linking up to Whoop it up Friday! and Show off Friday!


Sunday, May 6, 2012

Triangles!

I started this quilt four years ago.  It was my first project, and like most things I start I decided to make it really complicated.  It was originally 3.5" squares... and then after they were all cut...triangles seemed like a good idea.  Regardless of the squares or triangles I always wanted to do the same pattern.

Somehow... the triangles (and all my weird measurements and ideas on graph paper) all made it through a pregnancy (hence the grand idea of cutting like 800 triangles), being taken out and put away 20 times over the last four years, and a move.  Honestly, these triangles are what made me get my sewing machine out again after being out of sight for a good two years.

I don't remember how exactly I acquired all the different colors (and some of the prints are really quite ugly) and I know I had it in my mind to almost double this size (because I have A LOT of traingles left).  But, as I started to reassemble this thing I wanted to stay true to my original intentions but also make it feasible.


As I write this post, the two completed rows and the rest of the blocks are sitting in a drawer... I am hoping by writing about this crazy quilt I will be inspired to find a way to finish.

I've learned a ton since I started this quilt and I would never make a quilt like this now.  I've even learned a ton since I actually started putting these triangles together a few months ago... I stopped piecing the blocks together several projects ago because I was a bit disheartened by how much the size was shrinking.  As I look at the pictures now... I am almost tempted to rip the seams out of the two rows I have and maybe do a small sashing between each block.  Sashing wasn't part of the original plan... but then again I didn't know what sashing was... and I thought I should make a king size quilt out of tiny triangles. 

I want to finish this thing as a gift to myself back then... I don't want to stray too far from my vision then (even though I think it is ridiculous now)... but I also think it might be okay to show myself from then some of the changes I've made and the things I've learned.

 A little late but I am linking up to Show Off Friday and Whoop Whoop Friday!