Monday, January 14, 2008

Sewing Sewing Sewing

Different sized Skinny Logs laid out on the floor. This was yesterday.

Something you don't ever want to see - the right side of the fabric when it's meant to be wrong. I didn't realize my fabric strip was doubled up, so I had to take out this seam and resew just one additional layer of fabric, thank you very much.


I sew multiple blocks onto the same strip, but take care so that I'm mixing the blocks up and they don't all look the same. Not only that, but the blocks are at different stages, so the fabric will appear in a different place on each of the blocks. Mostly. The fabric probably will get used again (though I haven't done much of that so far) but there will be different blocks in the mix. Not sure that makes any sense whatsoever, but that's my method.

This is what my staging area looks like, although I hadn't mixed each stack up yet so that each pile had different fabrics on top. Inaccurate, but you can see how I work with different sized blocks all at the same time.

I am sooo much happier now that I am using some of the wilder fabric again. I know I already wrote that, but I can't even begin to emphasize how dull all that safeness was making my quilt. I've discovered that Bonnie is right, you cut any fabric up small enough and it will work. I've fallen in love with some of my fabrics that I thought were too busy to use and I've also learned that some are still darn ugly, but work in the general scheme of things.

And I needed zingers. So I added Halloween fabric featuring spiders even though it's awfully pale and a fun alien fabric that Siobhan gave me, even though the eyes on the critters were yellow. I know, I can be so ridiculous about my colors sometimes. Stupidly so. I'll show you some fabric close-ups another day, but take a look at this:

I don't know what setting I'm going to use (but it may be this one, because I loved it right away), but this is the size of the log cabin blocks - seven layers of logs. The blocks are a bit less than 8" right now. My personal wonkiness is definitely showing in these blocks. I did a round of squaring them up. Even the blocks with the same number of logs are different sizes and some are even rectangular rather than square. I love it when I stand back and look at the results - the irregular logs add life. It can just be frustrating while I'm sewing and the fabrics are escaping from my feed dogs, making my seams narrower or wider than desired.

I haven't finished straightening up after Christmas. I had to reorder our shelves to make room for our new books so I moved bunches of my alabaster vases over here to the hutch, but I haven't figured out how I want them yet and with what. Christmas quilts are still on the wall too. D'oh.

Sorry this was a babbly post, but I don't think my lunch of Spicy Nacho Doritos was good brain fuel. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

16 comments:

atet said...

Those log cabin blocks are just plain fun! As for the cleaning -- um, there will be time for that. Later. Much later. Like -- well, in my case later seems to never come but, you know what I mean!

Gypsy Quilter said...

Your colors are marvelous and I don't think it's possible to ever have a bad log cabin block. The zingy fabrics you've added bring zest to your blocks. I love that setting also.

Laura said...

They are looking great! The colors are fabulous. I can't wait to see them all put together.

Nellie's Needles said...

FUN!

Donna said...

some fabrics just have a mind of thier won -- folding up, pulling crooked under the feed dogs -- you'd think they didn't want to be part of this beautiful work... :-)

Lea said...

Oh, It's so fun to see your log cabin blocks. :-)
I love these polka dots!

Norma said...

Every time I get bogged down by the fact that everything is supposed to line up just right and be so perfect, I read your blog and I find peace!! I love these colors and these blocks. Thank you for showing the beauty of a not so perfect quilt with an irregular block here and there. You are a quilting DIVA.

Rosalyn Manesse said...

Now I don't feel so badly about my wonky blocks--even Lazy Gal makes them! Those colors are delicious.

Anonymous said...

So appealing, and it looks great next to your vases too!

Unknown said...

Will you square up the blocks at some point or is that a stupid question? ;-) The blocks are looking fantastic--love the oddball fabrics thrown into the mix.

jmb_craftypickle said...

I love these...I personally like the off-center barn raising...and I LOVE the wackier fabrics mixed in always better in my opinion. I also think that the quilts with the bits of unexpected verve age better and give you more interest the more that you look at them. Doritos...yum.

Kristin Shields said...

It looks fabulous. I love the setting on the bulletin board. I am noticing how well various fabrics look together as I'm doing my crumb blocks. Things I never would have put together otherwise. I think this method of quilting is a good exercise in color awareness.

Unknown said...

I love how this is developing Tonya - the setting on the door is lovely and just picks up the colour of your turquoise alabaster jars perfectly. I wish I could send you some sunshine to lighten your days but we have virtually none over here across the channel either - some days it doesn't even seem to get properly light at all - couldn't you maybe get DH to take a little time off and take a long weekend further south to give you a lift

Clare said...

We've had some sun - yes really! I am beginning to think that Spring is just round the corner AND the days are lengthening. Just a bit but they are. Get out into the Bois or one of the parcs and get some daylight rays.

Mind you, up in the eaves of your apartment building, you've got lovely light rooms. I love the jars and, of course the phenology heads! Is that a French metal sign that you've had made up?

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous!

Tanya said...

Wow, don't those blocks really set off the vases wonderfully. Or is the the vase color that sets off the quilt? Whichever way, I hope they can eventually find themselves on the same wall!