Quilting / Current Projects

I can't work on one project at a time.  I always need to have a handful of things going at different stanges (one in cutting, one in piecing and one in quilting, etc.).  I figured it would be a good time to share my current in-process projects with you.  This is just the tip of the iceberg though.  I have enough bags of fabric and patterns to keep me busy for years.  But this it what I currently have in progress...

Wedding Napkin Quilt

Status: Handquilting

This is the biggest project currently in progress.  For our wedding, we purchased a ton of fabric on clearance and made a set of patterned napkins for our reception.  Many people took some home, but we ended up with a large bag of more napkins than we would ever need.  I gave them a good wash and ironed them out.  When the idea to quilt them first struck me, I had no idea how to quilt.  I was overly confident and did a terrible job.  Frustrated, they ended up back in the bag for a few more years.  Then I tried again.  This time I did a little research, but I was still overly confident and didn't fully understand the importance of even 1/4" seams. Once again I got frustrated with my crooked, uneven blocks.  So they went back in the bag.  Finally, this fall I decided to do it right.  I got out the uneven blocks and trimmed them all down to a consistent size.  They aren't prefect, but they were better.  The pattern on the front is busy enough that it doesn't show too much.

For the backing and quilting, I went through a few different ideas.  They were overcomplicated and overwhelming.  Finally I decided to simplify and picked up this heavy cotton rose pattern (one of our wedding flowers was white roses, so it seemed appropriate).  I'm handquilting the whole darn thing.  It's extremely time consuming, and I am putting about 3-12 hours a week into it (depending on how sore my fingers get).  But it's a labor of love.  It is almost halfway done being quilted.  I'm hoping to have it done by our 5 year anniversary this August.

Easy Charm Pack Baby Quilt
Status: Pieced, Looking for Backing Fabric

This is a pattern I'm working on for the blog.  It's a quick and inexpensive baby quilt made from a charm pack or 4 fat quarters.  I used super soft linens by Heather Ross.  The whole thing can be finished in a weekend.  As soon as it's finished I'll be sharing the tutorial and pattern with you for free, here on Ever So Splendid.

Triangle Totoro Garden Quilt
Status:  Cutting

I purchased the Japanese linens ages ago and packed them away for the perfect project.  Finally this summer I decided they were destined for a quilt.  Triangles felt appropriate.  I mixed in a few florals from Jo-Ann's and spent a painful afternoon fussy-cutting the Totoro vignettes.  The fabrics are slowly being cut and pressed.  The final size of the quilt is yet to be determined.  The plan is to either machine quilt it very simply or maybe try handquilting with sashiko thread.

Block of the Month Skill Builder Quilt (From Pile of Fabric)
Status:  Piecing

I started this project on a whim last week.  I've been wanting to try some new techniques, but I wasn't ready to commit to one technique for a large scale project.  This seemed like a great solution.  I have completed 6 of the blocks already.  The blocks consist of scraps of fabric left in my stash from other things and random fat quarters and end-cuts that I purchased from bargain bins.  I will probably be skipping the heavy applique blocks.  next up is the hex block (something I have always wanted to try).

So that is my current quilting status report.  I'm up to my chin in unfinished work.  While I love all of these projects, I am still dying to start some of the ones that are waiting in the wings.  If you have questions about any of these projects, feel free to ask.