The quilts so far...

I just went through and re-tagged a heap of posts, since I stopped putting quilt numbers at around #6.

#1 is the big rainbow quilt.

#2 is Maddy's quilt.

#3 is Levi's (friend from work's baby) quilt.

#4 will be Mama Jan's quilt, which got a number when it was in planning stages - that's how long it's been on the gunna list.

#5 is the retro quilt

#6 is the BlueGreen quilt

#7 is the purple quilt (not yet completed)

#8 is Esther's quilt

#9 is Dad's quilt cover (quilted, but not assembled)

#10 is my wonky Mingle mini quilt.

#11 is what came to be known as the Bubble and Squeak mini quilt (which has also gone to live with Esther, not that it will ever get used because I tied a bow around it in matching fabric and Helen thinks it's too pretty to unwrap)

#12 is the Honeycomb quilt I finished today.

Now I need a way to put that somewhere I can remember it - on the sidewall or something.

Progress report - 4am.

The purple quilt isn't finished, but I'm hoping the quilting is.

I planned to quilt across the seams and leave it at that but the top is a bit loose on a couple of the rows.

So, as per usual, I've done a square and chucked it in the wash with my work clothes and the fabric I'm using as binding for the Make Life baby quilt. Hopefully it will boof up, reassuring me that the quilting I've done already is enough (please please please) and I don't have to do some more across the blocks.

Also, even though I said I wasn't gunna, I made a start on the Make Life quilt. It's up to what I've referred to as quarter blocks since doing the retro star quilt, because each one was one quarter of the star block. So really, all I've done is reassemble my cutting from this evening, giving me the 48 blocks to arrange into a quilt, to match one of the patterns or otherwise.

I did a test to see if the staggered design would work with the blocks being the same colour on both sides 

It does.

I also had a play with a scattered design too.

Which also works. So I figure I'll be having a play around with the real thing tomorrow at some point.

Speaking of tomorrow, dad seems insistent that he will be getting me up at 9. I've put up with this whole "don't do stuff late at night" shit for the weekdays, but it's not applying tomorrow. It's a Saturday morning. If I had said I was going to be out till 3 partying, he would be actively encouraging me. Hell, he goes out and gets shitfaced 3 nights a week, so what the fuck is so bad about me being considerate, and only taking up the whole living room once everyone has gone to bed? Would he rather me be spraying fumey basting spray when Maddy is in there? When food is being cooked? Would he rather me fighting with Mum and Casey over bench space so I can have some room to press my seams, while they spread out cooking?

He whinges when I take up the floorspace for basting. And he whinges when I stay up late so I'm not in anyone's way.

But he doesn't whinge about the fact that Becky owes him, me and mum HUGE sums of money. Or the fact that Casey spends as much on alcohol and nights out with her friends as I do on fabric.

Staying up late on a Friday night to get shit done. It's not the worst crime in the world.

Progress report...

I told myself I wouldn't post anything until I had at least finished the top, and then when I had finished the top, I figured I'd press on with sorting out the batting, and since this quilt is a) more lofty and b) less clingy than the bamboo I'm used to I decided I'd baste in the ditch before I got the backing sorted, so I could at least turn it over.

So now I'm halfway through doing the backing, only having stopped because I was feeling a little faint from hunger.

Not sure on how or when I'll be doing my actual quilting - tossing up a bit between pulling an all nighter to get the damn thing over and done with and going into spotlight tomorrow and buying basting spray again - I haven't used it since the first quilt, which was wool - bamboo clings so much you hardly need baste. 

I basically have one strip of big squares to quilt and iron, then its joining my 2 strips of squares to my big bits and the back is all done. Quilting thus far (basting) has been a bit of a bitch, as this quilt is not only loftier but also larger than the bamboo I usually use, so I'll be struggling down in my slightly cramped bedroom space - The big rainbow quilt was done in the lounge in the wee small hours when I could do furniture shifting and have more space.

I think I'm gunna stop. Well, not just now, but once the back is done and pinned down to it.

Then I will either sleep or make a start on Helen's baby's quilt, which I've cut down to it's big squares (well, rectangles technically, I wanted 22x24 but have had to settle for 21.5x24 because of all the washing machine fraying) and need to do the two slices within it.

Due to a lack of response with regards to design, I've picked number 3 because I liked it and #2 equally, but #3 is a bit easier to do because both the sides are the same colour.

Actually, scratch 3 paragraphs ago. I'm beat, and going to bed. I've got tomorrow.

Purple plans...

I finally got around to putting in order and pinning the last 4 strips of the purple quilt, but I'm stalling on the sewing because of how much of a drag the other 6 strips were.

Granted, instead of having an old episode of Psych or Top Gear on I had new Big Bang Theory DVDs playing and that took up way more of my attention and slowed me down, but still... Sewing the strips was a massive drag.

The main reason I quilt over other kinds of sewing is the massive sense of achievement you get when you accomplish part of it. Usually I can stop for the night having done a whole lot of string piecing and feel good about how much I've gotten done, and the next day I only need to feel iron out all of my seams to get the same warm fuzzy.

But this purple quilt, in spite of the fact that I've tried to make it as quick as possible, feels really slow. It might be because I stopped for only 1 day between finishing the bluegreen quilt and starting this one. Or maybe it's because my parents are home, and its not as relaxing around here as it was a couple of weeks ago.

But, I have tomorrow off, and I've only got one Big Bang DVD left, which I'll be watching tonight. So no more of that to distract me, and hopefully, the top should be all done by tomorrow night.

Then it's piecing the back, which should be easy as its 2 strips of 23cm squares either side of the big bit.

And then quilting, which will be interesting as I'll be using a real actual quilt instead of batting. Because of this its going to be fairly spaced - I'm sewing over the seams on the across so that's about 20cm, if that seems too sparse I'll do through the middle as well. 

But that's for Friday.

I shleepie...

Came home after an hour at Azza's party... The music was too loud, the sound quality not great and neither was the playlist choice, and with a few notable exceptions, the boys had bad hair and the girls were too big for dresses that were too small.

Got home to season 1 of Big Bang on DVD, watched the first disk (about 2 hours) but only managed to sew 3 of the six strips of the purple quilt. A bit lazy but a lot has been accomplished today, and it was silly to ever expect it to be pieced in a weekend.

Tomorrow I will be (hopefully) sewing at least 1 more strip before work, which mercifully is only a 4 hour shift, then I will drop the tickertape bits that I forgot to take in today off at Nanny's so that Kelsey can pick them up. Then, if all goes to plan (ie. dad leaves me alone) sewing the other 2, ironing them out, working out where the hell I'm up to and cutting the next lot. I bought more fabric than I needed of each, because I tend to underestimate the backs as well, And I'm not sure how I'll be piecing it yet. Or when, since it's back to doing closes after this weekend.

In the meantime, I need to put some new Psych onto DVD for Tegan, whose usual supplier is on holiday and is therefore behind 2 episodes, and do some sleeping.

Since it is 2am already, and I need to get up in time to do 20 minutes of sewing before work, this will have to begin soon.

After I've cleared off the bed.

Damn this outfit choosing mess...

Post Crafternoon, Pre Whoring...

Had a big crafternoon at Helen's, made some decent progress on the purple test quilt (3/4 of the top cut and pinned, all of the rest of the fabric washed and ironed ready to go) and had 2 fast food meals for the day (usually only have one.) Showed off the retro and bluegreen quilts, and stunned people into indecision with my huge array of 10cm squares.

And now, instead of getting stuck in further while watching the Big Bang DVDs I bought with my massive tax cheque, I have to, according to Casey, go "whoring"

Azza from work's birthday party is on tonight. She doesn't mean real whoring, just going out and acting slutty while not actually being slutty at all. It's a Casey thing. I'm not feeling it, as once I have started on a quilt it's go go go, but she is being insistent.

Guess who's not getting the purple quilt?