Tag: labyrinth

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Labyrinth

Totally and completely finished!
I kept in a couple of pockets but cut them up for fun. 
I made sure the stitching was just on the outside of the pockets so they’re still somewhat usable.  I went over the back side of the quilt with running stitch so it wouldn’t have a blank space. 
Here’s some gratuitous closeups.  Note the red wheels in the back ground.  That’s my tree trunk table, pushed off to the side.
And yes, before you even ask, I did walk the labyrinth.  Several times.  It’s a short trip.
When I turned it over I realized that the backing is upside down.  D’oh.
Nothing to do about it now except call it quirky.
I added a sleeve for a hanging rod at one end but I don’t think it’ll get use much.  Why would someone take up a giant hunk o’ wall with this when it could be keeping you warm and toasty on your couch?
Also, check it out:
Someone else’s picture of my OCD quilt up at Absolutely Art for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore benefit.  …tee hee…
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Queen of Corners

I’m soooooo close.  I attached the binding last night.  I had to stop though because of the corners.
I am not the Queen of Corners.
It’s this double binding thing that I did for the first time on my last quilt.  I never looked into a better way to make corners – which I totally have down on the other way to make binding.  So, today my royal responsibility is to figure it out. 
I hope to have a finished quilt to show you tomorrow.  
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Finally!

I’m done with the quilting!  
That’s really all I have to report.
Second picture because the lighting isn’t great.  But it’ll be days before we get actual sunshine.  
By then, it should be all done.  
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Lucky Happy Perfect Quilt

This quilt is actually the full catastrophe.  Remind me next time I name a quilt to go with something like Happy Days or Lucky Me.
I’ve never added on to a quilt that is already a sandwich.  It’s a real pain.  
I had to unpin the edges, add the denim on and hand sew some batting on.  Luckily, the backing was big enough, I didn’t have to add any of that.  I don’t think that would have looked right.
I know people machine quilt with machines like this and are used to it but I found it to be a pain.  The quilt is so heavy and bulky.  
But enough complaining, I like the way it’s turning out.  I added a strip to the top (just to be safe) and then the edging on the left.  I decided not to just add the path part, I like that strip on the left too much to cut it up more.  
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Happy…Unhappy

I bought all 12 skeins of the ecru embroidery thread at Wisconsin Craft Market.

They sold it to me – with a smile – in a cute little paper bag that reminded me of the bags I would get when buying penny candy as a kid.  Happy.
It’s full body sewing.  I often need pliers to get the needle through all the layers.  I think it’s because I’m using the whole 6 ply thread – I usually split it in half and use three plies.  Many plies = pliers.  Hmm.
At this point, I caught my fatal flaw.  Unhappy.

You saw me lay out the yarn template, right?  That was supposed to save me from myself.

http://labyrinthsociety.org/

Remember this?

It’s hard to describe and harder to get a decent picture of but I have two ends left to connect which would make two more paths…
And only room for one more path.  Sooooo…  I f-ed it up.  
I’m not one to beat myself up at any length, though.  That’s boring.
  I had a choice to make and it was actually really easy to make it.  I could either make the last path continue off the edge of the quilt so that you would have to imagine it there or widen the quilt.  
Imma widen the quilt.  The imaginary path off the edge really defeats the purpose of the labyrinth.  I was halfway tempted to only add that part of the quilt that will have a path on it… actually, I still am tempted to do that.  It might be too complicated for someone who couldn’t fit a labyrinth on a quilt even using a template.   Only one way to find out.
I did have a place for the path there at one point but took it out thinking it was extra.  
Enough typing..time to do some improvising!
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Hooh Ah

After futzing about a bit, I picked my stitch for the labyrinth quilt:

Chain Stitch.  
Every time I think of it I get the song “Chain Gang” in my head.  
It looks solid on the denim side.  
If you clicked play, you are now enjoying this post with musical accompaniment and this will make sense:
Hooh ah
It’s like a close running stitch on the Bark Cloth side.  The chains are kinda large but with the fabric being so thick I feel like it works.  
Hooh Ah
Now the decision is made I’m moving pretty quickly.  I ran out of thread already, I’m not used to using so much, running stitch takes very little thread.  
Hooh Ah.
It’s pretty primitive looking at this point.  I’m hoping I still like it when it’s done because at that point, it’ll be done, ya know.  I’m so short on time, they’ll be no revisions.  
Hooh Ah.
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Jumps Into My Wet Head

All of my best ideas come when I’m in the shower.  Just sayin’. 
I should shower more often.  
Anyhoo, I got this all pinned and all that’s left to do is quilt that sandwich!
But I always (well, almost always) struggle with how to quilt it: Should I just do simple lines across? Should I do a fancyish pattern? Should I use multi-colored thread or white or something else all together?  Often, I enjoy that part but not as much when I’m in a rush.  This one is hard because the fabrics don’t really match each other stylistically- they often don’t.  
So, skip ahead to the shower when the idea of making a labyrinth just jumps into my wet head.  How cool would that be?
http://labyrinthsociety.org/
Totally cool, that’s how cool.
The following are simply close ups of the pins in the quilt.  
I don’t know why I get such a kick out of the patterns they make.
I just do.
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What Could Be Better?

Here’s what a couple of hours can do.

It’s really fun to just stitch while following your nose.

I also got about an hour of book club reading in, I will not be the one who hasn’t finished the book!
But I also got some real work done.  I’ve promised to donate a quilt to the Monona Library for an upcoming fundraiser*. 
Do you recognize the denim blocks?  It’s the full catastrophe quilt that has been haunting me with it’s unfinished nature.  Well, I found it a home.  Not all of it, mind you, but a fair amount.  
One of the things I loved about it originally was how the strips all went in the same direction but now I’m like, meh.  
So, I pulled some of the strips apart
And added in a couple of panels that had different orientations.
It still needs something. 
My pointless panel will have to wait.  I feel a little like a Victorian lady with my embroidery project waiting for me to work on it in the evenings.  Like a Victorian lady who works on her projects while watching Mad Men.  
*Which, by the way, you should really go to.  We’ll have a Dean Martin impersonator and cupcakes.  What could be better?