Weird Color Combo, A Giveaway and Other Random Thoughts
Finally I have gotten around to choosing fabrics for the 2016 Meadow Mystery QAL. It kept slipping my mind until today. The moment it crossed my mind, I marched myself up to my studio and began to dig. Which led to cleaning out of a couple of bins, which led to other activities, but the main thing is I have chosen my fabrics! Hooray. Here they are:
Yes, they are perhaps a bit odd. Or shall I say unusual. I got the hand-dyed fabric a while back on a whim. Then when I was reading the directions for the Meadow Mystery Quilt, I decided to see if I had some coordinating fabrics for it, and sure as shootin' I did! So all that was left was the background. It's hard to tell from the photo because I t was on a white background, but it is the perfect creamy white that is in the center of the hand-dye. So while it may be a weird combo, I'm going with it anyway, cause I like it. IThe dark green may have to be switched out, I'm seeing in the photo.) It may be too dark. But luckily I have a couple of other pieces that I'm pretty sure will work too, so no worries on that.
Next, I've been working on a pillow. It's from a practice square that I made before I settled on the design I made for my cousin's baby (See the flimsy finish below the pillow). I really love the way I quilted it - it's kind of sharp and dragon-y.
I was thinking of going with blue piping on the edges, but I may just skip it instead. I don't think it's necessary on this pillow after all. Which kind of makes me happy because piping tends to be rather time-consuming. And I mean I am working on so many projects at this moment! What's up with that?
My friend Karen whom I sew with every week said "Carrie, remember when you only worked on one piece at a time from start to finish? What's happened to you?" Heck, I don't know - I just have a plethora of projects at the moment. And ideas too. But I'm vowing NOT to start anything else until I finish all the baby quilts first. Which I'm about to do, soon. Really.
I made several different squares and combinations on EQ7 using HST's and HRT's when I was working on this piece, just because and although I'm quite pleased with it the way it is, I'm thinking I may want to go back and make another one of the iterations, too. Maybe in different colors/fabrics, but they are kind of fun to do, really. I mean, usually I don't like making repeat squares but these are actually pretty challenging, And I will let you in on a little secret - I may be a little freakish, but I actually really enjoy making HST's and HRT's. Don't know why. I think I like the challenge of trying to make them really perfectly. Not that I've actually REACHED that goal ever, of course - but I still like it. Go figure. Anyway, here is the flimsy finish of the whole baby quilt, which I think I'm calling "The Little Dipper" because it kind of reminds me of that constellation for some reason.
In fact, I've been in a creative frenzy on EQ7 lately. I've got several designs that I'm super excited to get started on, and ideas for more. In fact, as soon as I'm finished blogging, I plan to head on back to EQ7 to work on an idea I got a couple of hours ago. I still feel like there's so much I have to learn on this program but already I see it's value. At first I was a little afraid that it would somehow cramp my creativity by putting too many parameters on how I make things, but I'm glad I got it. Yeah, I will always come up with some funky ideas, and some might not work on a drawing program but I can still make them from a sketch. What I am enjoying right now is being able to switch up colors and fabrics on my designs. Again, I haven't even begun to learn about some of the more advanced features, so I'm feeling like there's a lot of room for me to grow on this program. Plus, it's good for my brain - I really have to think and the skill set is one I've never really developed.
Last, and sorry for being so damn long-winded today, but it's worth it because: I have a giveaway! I've been going through my stash and boy, do I have a LOT of orange and orange-based fabrics! I mean way too much. Orange is one of my favorite colors, but really, there's only so much orange a girl can use. So I'm giving a stack of 16 pieces (all are at least a fat quarter, some are more than that) away. Here it is. It's a pretty fine stack, really. I'd say I'm having second thoughts, but I still have quite a bit of orange left in my bin, so I don't need all this.
Just in time for Fall/Halloween sewing, too. Leave a comment below telling me what colors you have too much fabric for in your stash and I will put your name in the running. (FYI - My random way of choosing will be to put everyone's name in a hat and choose, since I don't really know how to use that number generator widget that I've seen others use. But the odds stay the same and all. ) I'll make the pick next Friday, so stay tuned...
Once I choose the winner I will contact you to get your information so I can send you your stack. I'll sign off now before I think of something else to write about! Thanks for stopping by...I'm linking up with Finished or Not Friday. I love these links things - it is a great way to meet new bloggers.
