Finishing
After Quiltfest last fall, I decided I needed to work on finishing some of my many unfinished projects. I thought with some concentrated effort I could make a dent. Well, it's been about 9 months now and my concentrated effort didn't work exceptionally well. But I have finished some things. I decided to enumerate them here to give myself a small measure of accomplishment!! Kind of like checking things off a list. Sometimes you just have to write them down so you have the pleasure of crossing them off!
I started this barn bag with animals when Matthew was a little boy. I had always hoped one of my kids would like farm things, and he was the first one to do so. But I never got it done before he outgrew it. Then when Julie said that Kaitlyn really liked farm animals (especially chickens) I knew the time had come to finish it. I had started two, so I finished them both. I gave one to Kaitlyn this past Christmas, and the other is for Matthew's hope chest. He may not have ever enjoyed it as a small boy, but maybe he can enjoy watching one of his kids play with it!
At Quiltfest I bought this kit and got it made. A few years ago Brent bought me a Jim Shore figurine of a snowman (really a lady) and I thought this would look good to display it on. I was right I think! I included both pictures so you could see it better first.
I make a little ornament every year, but sometimes I have some started that never get finished.These are a few leftover ornaments I finished from another year.
This is actually a little Pooh Bear outfit I made for Christmas 2013. I made two of them, one for Ruby and one for Kaitlyn. Isn't it adorable!
When I was out visiting, Elise wanted to learn to embroider. She had embroidered the strawberries. She was very diligent and focus with her sewing. I thought it deserved to be preserved, so I turned it into a bodice on a dress for her doll. Then I decided to make a dress to match and gave it to her Christmas of 2013. She loved it!
I also made Joseph a knight outfit. I used silky fabrics since he loves them.
Earlier this year I went to an amazing quilt exhibit at the BYU museum of Art. They were quilts from Pakistan and India and they were called Ralli quilts. One thing that really impressed me is how they quilted plain fabric with different colors of thread in straight lines and it made a secondary design.
I had an old quilt top that I had made--I don't even remember the reason why. I just know I used what I had. I thought it was somewhat ugly but after seeing the Ralli quilts it gave me an idea for quilting it with different colored threads. I haven't finished quilting it yet, but I am pleased with how it is turning out. Her is a photo of it in progress. You can't see if very well in this photo, but the thread colors change as you go from star to star. I will call it Ralli Star.
If I can ever stay home long enough, it will be done in just a few more days quilting time. I may do something special on the binding. Some Ralli quilts have unusually amazing bindings. If I do something special with the binding, I will post a photo of that later.
This is a detail from another Ralli quilt that really inspired me. I love the unusual appliqued hearts used for sashing. I haven't figured out a project to use it in, but rest assured, you will see it later.
I have finished a few more items this year, but I think I will need to find the photos. I thought I had taken them, but I surely can not find them right now. Hopefully this will be enough for one night. More later!! It will give you something to look forward to.
