Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Back to School = Back to Reality

If you are like me and still have kids in school, or if not,  imagine a summer filled with playing, sunshine and happiness.   Then imagine a dark cloud moving in called 'School' and life is filled with tears, lunches and  homework. Maybe I am exaggerating slightly alot, but regardless the days of no schedule are over for ten months.

On the positive side, and there always is one, I can GET BACK TO QUILTING!  You have been so great to stick by me, as I know my posts border on sparse this past summer.  Now I am ready to roll out the quilts, find new ways to 3D embellish and maybe even do a bit of teaching along the way.

This weekend I spent time working on two different quilts.   One was hand applique... OH MY GOODNESS that is tedious work.  If you are a hand quilter, you really, really need to give yourself a pat on the back.  Heck, go buy yourself something chocolate.  You deserve it.



The other project, albeit hand work, but not quite so insane, was stitching my felted pieces.   Finally this weekend I had a brainwave and figured out how I was going to turn this into a quilt.  It took the right piece of fabric and two years of sketches, yes I did say two years.   I could just never get the design to look like what I wanted it to.

I even visioned using it in a piece of wearable art... but the thought of sewing them together and then cutting off the pieces that didn't fit into the pattern made me too sad.

Now I am really excited with what I think may work.   We all know what you have on paper does not necessarily turn out like that once you try and make it into a quilt.  Well, that is what happens with me.  How do you get a new quilt started?


11 comments:

jlk said...

You are so dramatic. School starting again is that happiest time of year. I'm sorry you cry so much ;)

Monika Kinner-Whalen (MySweetPrairie) said...

oh I hear ya - 'I can sew again!!' lol Feels like it's been so long. (omg lol jlk is so funny! lol)

See you in blogland Jackie! ; )

Monika

Mama Pea said...

I like hand applique, but not needle turn. My daughter started back today. But it's a happy day for her. She loves school and seeing her friends again. It's all good!

Snoodles said...

(Waving) I'm a hand-quilter! LOL We are brave souls! When I envision a new quilt, I have to draw it in my notebook before I forget it....and it never looks quite as pretty as it did in my imagination. Sigh. I guess that gives me something to work toward!

Anonymous said...

just wait till you have to drop one off at college and drive away!!

Patti said...

I haven't done any hand applique, although I have done hand quilting. I also enjoy it alot, but need to do more!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

my little ones all have little ones of their own starting to school today,,,time flies by!! I am a hand quilter and know what you mean. But I love it. I can't imagine 2 years of anything never mind sketching, See I can't sketch anything. lol. good luck with that though

Susan J Barker said...

the start of school has not affected my household in years, except to remember to slow down in school zones!

As to starting a new quilt, it is either artistic, that brews between my ears for weeks and gets drawn and redrawn, or is improv and seems to fall into place, really different approaches for me, but often both ways work...

Mary Ann Tate said...

My kids have been out of school for years but I do remember the frantic days before running here and there getting everything ready. I don't miss it one bit:)

Rolanda said...

I love that green fabric with the stitching. It is so vibrant.

Renate said...

Back to school only means I need to slow down in school zones like Susan Being Snippy. You're right...sketches never end up the same in a quilt. Your hand work is terrific. How do I start a quilt?....Usually just by walking into a quilt store...Yup... inspiration overload! LOL!