Showing posts sorted by relevance for query jumbo margarita. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query jumbo margarita. Sort by date Show all posts

Monday, June 16, 2008

Jumbo Margarita - Top

Woohoo, I got a top finished. This is Jumbo Margarita - not to be confused with the Margarita Quilt which is still in progress - I haven't decided yet on blue or orange for the border.


What do you guys think of this? I'm thinking it doesn't need another border, but could be wrong. Sometimes it's hard to get the appropriate distance on your own quilts. Are the proportions good? I could add another row of the big blocks all the way round. Or make a single row of Godzilla blocks all the way.

Jumbo Margarita has a center of 10 x 10 3" Lazy 9-Patch blocks surrounded by a double row of 6" blocks. Theoretically the 6" blocks should have been exactly twice the size of the 3" blocks. That's how math is supposed to work. Not the way I piece.

I added an extra row of squares to the side and bottom of the center to make it larger and amazingly enough that worked exactly.




After I got two of the big borders added on I realized that I'd sewn several of the blocks/rows incorrectly. You know how usually you alternate the blocks: one with four dark corners followed by one with four light corners? eh, didn't work. Well, here and there, but not consistently. Good thing I love this style of quilt. If I still bought into the whole precision thing I'd be crying.

No seam ripping for me! When a quilt is this wonky, you can't tell when something is sewed "wrong."

Cats had fun while I was laying down blocks yesterday. Pokey was squirming all over making it difficult to get her in focus.

Brothers Howler and Habibi.


Howler pretty much destroyed the arrangement tearing around on the blocks. He doesn't have the block surfing ability of Siobhan's cat Brownie, who can make the blocks slide for a foot or so. I mean, really gets them moving. Siobhan was having one heck of a time trying to get her quilt together while Brownie was playing. And I was no help whatsover - it was a great show.

My bad knee is still iffy. I know it's feeling better though because I keep forgetting about it and doing stupid things like bending it. I'm going to take it easy now after all the sewing of the last two days and go back to hand quilting.

I have to admit to a couple of guilty pleasures. I've been netflixing Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen Season 1. He's such an incredible jerk, but entertaining nonetheless. My favorite contestant got the boot from the final four but I'm looking forward to seeing who won.

Okay, the other guilty pleasure is South Park. yes, you read that right. My cable company has been airing it with an english language option (woohoo) and it comes on right before The Daily Show (which amazingly enough is just subtitled) so I've sorta gotten sucked in. I've actually been enjoying it - cringing with embarassment.

Meanwhile I've heard about how season 3 of Bones ended. My favorite character turns out to be a serial killer? That is wrong on so many levels. I wasn't all that happy with season 2 of the show, and didn't care for the direction it went. Well, Bones just went right over the cliff. I'm not watching any of season 3 and now I don't even know how much I want to watch the earlier episodes either.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Île de la Cité

We had a glorious day of Indian Summer on monday. It was 63 but felt a lot warmer to me. I was just wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt but everyone else was bundled up. I took a walk along the Seine to enjoy the sunshine. I don't remember it being cloudy, but obviously it was.

Île de la Cité. I stitched together three photos to get this panorama shot. Theoretically it will enlarge when you click it.


This morning I got out my crumby top that I made with Bonnie way back in January 2007. The quilt she made at the same time is stunning and there's no way I can compete with her border. So I'm just adding a patterned fabric. But first I had to try and straighten up the center. I don't get crazy about it - I don't have to have a perfect square or rectangle, but I do like to add the borders on straight on each side. Well this poor top has definitely stretched out with me holding it up by the corners to show it off. Trying to get straight edges has been... interesting.
I'm trying to get several projects finished up with backing fabrics. Some will be long-armed, and others will go with me so I have stuff to work on in Florida when I get there in January.
I've got a question for ya'all. I need to get a backing pieced for my Jumbo Margarita quilt. It's got white fabric in it. Am I going to get myself into trouble using heavily patterned/dark fabric on the back? I'm worried about it showing through to the top.
You've been very helpful answer the question To Mac or Not to Mac. I'm going for it. Or at the very least I'm going to make an appointment at the Apple Retail Store to really give it a test drive. I didn't realize just how much was available at their store, such as the personal shopper and one-on-one training. Very cool.