I applied the binding to the latest quilt ("Retro-Cali Ribbon Stars"). Then it spent a week waiting for me to stitch down the last side of the label. I tend to put off hand-stitching, because I don't love it. When I finally did it, though, it really wasn't that bad, so I went ahead and stitched down the label for the long-languishing second "Tall Tales" quilt that has been nearly-done for such a long time. I labeled both quilts, let the ink set (at least 24 hours recommended), and gave them their first washes. Photos and "ta-da" posts to follow soon, I hope.
In the meantime, there are a couple of other projects I can share progress reports on.
First, I completed the fox diamond painting Kimberly gave me for Christmas. I'm happy with how it turned out! (They always look better from a distance, but here's a photo, anyway...)
I'm already zooming through the next diamond painting-- a picture of flowers in glass jars. This one seems to be coming along really quickly. Maybe there are larger areas of the same color drills, so it's faster to work up. If that's not it, I'm not sure why. It's just a speedy one, for some reason-- by my standards, at least. Of course, now that I've written that, I'll lose momentum and it will take months. 😉 The rest of it likely will take longer, because I've reached the tops of most of the jars, and the rest is a bit more of the "confetti" style, with the flowers and a bird. As always with these diamond paintings (and most of what I make), there's no hurry.
Last week, I crocheted for the first time since December, so that will probably slow the diamond painting progress, too. The current doily WIP ("Oculus of Stars") is getting closer to being finished, though every round takes a while to complete, so there's still a lot to do. I'm eager to be done, after so long, but I'm not looking forward to blocking such a big project! It will be the largest doily I've ever made and a little awkward to block, I suspect.
Last week, I crocheted for the first time since December, so that will probably slow the diamond painting progress, too. The current doily WIP ("Oculus of Stars") is getting closer to being finished, though every round takes a while to complete, so there's still a lot to do. I'm eager to be done, after so long, but I'm not looking forward to blocking such a big project! It will be the largest doily I've ever made and a little awkward to block, I suspect.
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Once I finished applying the binding and quilt labels, it felt like time to work on the free-style words for the crumb quilt. It's been in-progress for so long. I didn't really feel excited about working on it, but I felt that I "should" try to finish it before starting anything else. I already have another quilt or two also "in-progress" and waiting, and as much as I wanted to start something new, I also find it uncomfortable to have too many projects going at the same time. It's time to finish something!
So, I got back to work on that. Eventually, I had all the free-style letters I needed, then they came together into "dancing" words. Next, I'll put the words together into lines, and then it will be time to join the crumb strips to make a completed quilt top.
I'm not the best free-style word-piecer, but I think they're legible. I'd like to try more word-piecing, but I'll have to give it some thought and find the right project. This first effort felt challenging at times, but once I put the letters into words, they didn't look so bad. Not perfect, but passable. I imagine in only gets better and more fun with practice.
Here are a few photos showing the progression from messy, jagged individual letters to less messy, more legible pieced words:
Here are a few photos showing the progression from messy, jagged individual letters to less messy, more legible pieced words:
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I'm already thinking ahead to other quilt projects I'd like to make. There are so many-- too many! I feel like I "should" work on the pink and blue string project again soon. I have a plan for the next steps for that one. Fabrics are pulled. I just need to figure out the sizes, cut some test pieces, and then (once I've ironed out those details) get busy cutting and sewing many, many stitch-and-flip corners. Many, many of them. It's not difficult, but it takes time. The hardest part is getting started. Finding something good to listen to helps!
I've also been sketching the first ideas for a (simple) quilt pattern of my own design. I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I'd like to give it a try. And then there are two or three other fun-looking patterns I've been thinking I want to try, for months. Just waiting for the right time, once I've scratched a few WIP off the list... It's tempting to just start something new, but I know I'll regret it if I end up with too many in-progress projects. Time to exercise a little self-control, I guess! When I've finished the crumb quilt top and started the stitch-and-flip step for the "Make it Pink/Make it Blue" quilt (not sure yet if that's its name or not), I think I'll feel like it's okay to start something new on the side. (I'm itching to treadle some more strings!)
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Here are a few snapshots of Frodo to close with, for tonight. He had his third birthday earlier this month. I just had a birthday, too. Only forty years older than little Mister Frodo! 😅😆
Here he is with his favorite ring toy. We had the ring for years before we got him, but none of our other dogs have ever cared for it. Frodo loves it! He carries it around and often flips it up so that he's wearing it over his face. (Silly boy!) Donald bought him a newer version of the same toy, but he doesn't like it as much as the old, worn out one. It smells different, so we left it outside to weather. It's better, now, but he still prefers the original.
And here he is snoozing behind the veil of crumb strips:
"Ta-da" post next time!