I just finished #17 and am seeing the light! Of course I will no doubt be tempted to replace one of two when the 20 are finished and I can stretch this project out a bit longer. 😛
Thanks so much for all the suggestions on my last post. I was really wanting to avoid sashing on this quilt, so I opted to attempt instead to make some blocks that are a little lighter–fewer fabric rings, more white backgrounds, etc. I think it worked. (Though in 3 months I’ll probably look back on this post and be like “WHY?!!! I should have stuck with the darker blocks!” because that’s how I roll.) I’ve also been making them with the greater quilt in mind instead of looking at what that individual block needs to rock on its own. So I feel like the latest blocks aren’t as strong as the previous ones, but they contribute more. They are the team players, the backup singers, the sidekicks. (And if you’re wondering why this next photo is so small, it’s because it is so terrible I’m ashamed to display it. It’s just getting really crowded in front of the ‘design board’ I’ve jimmy-rigged and there was no easy way to get a decent shot because I’m lazy and didn’t want to move anything or change lenses.)
Ellie is such a little smarty pants. I just can’t get over it. She has so many words—hi, mama, daddy, wiwa, button, sun (although that one she’s only said once, but she pointed right at the setting sun!), done, baba, and nana (nursing). She’s got signs—all done, more, she shakes her head no and even nodded her head yes today!
And if she weren’t such a little chicken baby, she could walk! She is able to stand on her own—she does it, then realizes that she’s not holding onto anything and she freaks out and lowers herself to the ground in a perfectly controlled squat. IF YOU CAN LOWER YOURSELF IN A PERFECTLY BALANCED SQUAT YOU CAN STAND, CRAZY GIRL!!
I am so blown away watching everything that she does and how eager she is to communicate with us.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Posted in fabric
If you’ve been hanging out in blogland this week, you probably already know about the Liebster Blog award. It’s a way of sharing information about smaller blogs (fewer than 300 followers)–a way for us little guys to give the nod to other little guys! 🙂
Brooke of Pitter Putter Stitch was sweet enough to send a nod my way, and it very much made my day. Brooke caught my eye on flickr, where I fell head over heels for her little elephant momma/baby embroidery for the Pillow Talk Swap and was hooked when I saw her Cathedral Windows pillows. Here are a few of the other amazing blogs in my google reader:
Jolene of Blue Elephant Stitches is one of my design and color heroes. Her quilts make me happy and I’m always excited to see a new post from her in my google reader.
Katie from So Happy made the most incredible advent calendar last year and you have to check out her cute little plush nativity!
Lucia of Lulubloom became an instant favorite when I saw her adorable set-up for photographing quilts and blocks–fence, twine, and clothespins! She has such awesome bold bright graphic quilts.
Julia of Little Girl Quilts has just over 300 followers in google reader, so technically she’s disqualified, but I figure being just over still counts. 🙂 Her photography is spot on and her projects are gorgeous.
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Since it’s not a blog post without a crafty picture, here’s a combo that is demanding that I make something with it. I think I know just the thing, too. Maybe we’ll get a chance tomorrow!
This morning Ellie was standing at my feet, whining at me. I picked her up and she looked at me and said “Hi.”
It was hilarious.
Also, she’s a genius! Added to her vocabulary: “sun” and “button.”
After I dropped Nic off at work this morning (he can’t drive until his vertigo gets under control) I grabbed the power cord from the sewing repair shop and came back home to check her out! So far, so good! It will take some getting used to the a few things I’ve been spoiled with–no needle threader, no automatic setting to keep the needle in the down position, no plugging in a number to rock out an easy stitch length–but I am otherwise loving her!
We moved some furniture around and got her all set up last night. I also cleaned out her stool and made myself a little ‘sewing box’ to stick under an end table for easy access to my larger tools. I think my sewing spot will be able to fairly happily coexist with the living room now! 🙂
On Sunday I knocked out a couple more blocks and decided that it was time to see them together. I’m a little disappointed. I’m not really sure why–I love the blocks individually, and I really liked seeing the first half dozen together…but I was underwhelmed when I put them up on my makeshift design board. I’m going to just keep going, though (my plan is a 4×5 grid, so 20 blocks all together). With my dream on quilt I changed course and looking back, I’m not sure why. I know I strongly didn’t like the mock-up at the time, but looking back I much prefer the original version to what I ended up with. I think I suffer from Middle-of-the-Project Syndrome where it’s not looking like what you had in your head, but you’re too in it to see that it’s still pretty. So we’ll just keep on trucking along and hopefully I’ll love it eventually.
This is one of those quilts that is going to be a nightmare to settle on a final arrangement. In order to make it look ‘random’ a LOT of elements need to be balanced. For example, the blocks with gray in their outer ring, the blocks with green as tiny strips versus entire outlines, the ‘pictures’ at the heart of the blocks and then of course just the overall balance and flow. Just when you have one settled, another of the elements pops out as trouble.
Now that we’re just past the halfway point, I’m also trying to decide if I want to hack into the fat quarter stack of sherbet pips so that some of the outter rings can be pips fabric, too, instead of just the inner rings. I’m torn because on the one hand, I like the idea of the pips not being restrained to the inner layers…but on the other hand I like the idea of really working that layer cake and keeping the fat quarter pack ‘safe’ for another project. My hoarding tendencies are going strong!
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Becky - Every great team needs a few role players. They aren’t the stars, they don’t rack up the stats, but they are the glue that holds the team together. I think your team is championship bound!
Meagan - I have to admit at first this quilt didn’t wow me, I’m usually not a fan of anything fussy cut. But seeing it all together, wow! I think I might have to try something like this, you may have converted me!
Kristie at OCD - Coming together great. Yay, Team!
By the way, I like your Style 😉 Am awarding you a Stylish Blogger Award today….pop by my blog later- it is a poy-it-forward kind of award.
Susie - I think it’s shaping up to be something amazing- I love seeing the process!
Susanne - I love all of these blocks. Not quite my taste, but very visually stunning!! I’m sure you’ re already heading there, but you should use a small side stripe of dark in one of your last blocks!!! I love those dark splashes!!!
Julia Wylie - I really like what you did with this quilt! Featuring the fabric :o) Love it!