Stitch Report: Three Weeks of the Plague, a Few Finished Projects, and an Ambitious Imagination
Well, it's been a while since my last Stitch Report. Again. I had every intention of getting back into a regular posting schedule, but apparently life had other plans, including a three-week illness that I am more than happy to put behind me.
I am not a good sick person. I have very little patience for being unable to do the things I want to do, and I don't particularly appreciate being told to rest. I know perfectly well that rest is necessary when you're sick. Knowing something and being happy about it are two entirely different matters. I become irritable, angry, and generally unpleasant company, particularly when I can see all the things I could be accomplishing if my body would just cooperate. I'm sure my family has enjoyed every minute of my charming personality over the past few weeks.
Whatever plague I managed to contract was particularly determined to make me miserable. There were several days when I could barely muster the energy to move from my recliner, and a few when I was fairly certain my brain had stopped functioning altogether. I didn't even have the energy to think about sewing, which should tell you something about how miserable I felt. I spent a considerable amount of time wondering whether I was going to survive and, when I wasn't contemplating my imminent demise, being annoyed that I wasn't getting anything done.
Fortunately, I appear to have survived my near-death experience, although I can't tell you much about what I accomplished before it. Those memories seem to have disappeared somewhere between the coughing, sleeping, and general misery. I have photographs of projects, so I know I was doing something, but reconstructing the last several weeks has been a challenge.
Over the past few days, I've finally started feeling better, and I've been making up for lost time. Once I had enough energy to sit at my sewing machines again, I managed to finish several things that had been waiting for attention. Apparently, three weeks of enforced inactivity created quite a backlog of sewing ambition.
Spring Dreams: The Quilt Top and Pillow Shams Are Finished
One of my bigger accomplishments was finishing the Missouri Star Spring Dreams quilt top, along with the matching pillow shams. I've been working on this Block of the Month project for quite some time, and I'm delighted to finally see all those individual blocks assembled into a complete quilt top.
I really love the colors in this one. The blues, pinks, purples, greens, and yellows work beautifully together, and the variety of blocks gives the quilt plenty of visual interest. It's one of those projects that looks quite different when all the pieces are finally together than it did when I was working on individual blocks month after month. I had a general idea of how it would turn out, of course, but seeing the completed top spread out is a different experience altogether.
The matching pillow shams are finished as well, and I think they'll make a lovely set once everything is quilted. That last part is important because, despite my enthusiasm for announcing another finish, the quilt still needs batting, backing, quilting, and binding. I'm not going to pretend those are insignificant details, particularly when I consider how many other quilt tops are waiting for the same treatment.
For now, though, I'm happy with the progress. The piecing is complete, the shams are done, and I can move this project from the list of things I'm actively piecing to the list of things waiting to be quilted. Whether that represents an actual reduction in my workload is debatable, but I like the sound of it.
A Quilting Life: Month Nine
I also completed month nine of the A Quilting Life Block of the Month, and I'm still making each block in two different colorways.
The red and blue version has a much stronger contrast, while the peach and green version is softer and more subdued. I've enjoyed seeing how the same block changes depending on the fabrics used. It's one of my favorite aspects of quilting, and making two versions of each month's block has been an interesting way to experiment with color and contrast.
Of course, making two versions of every block also means twice the cutting, twice the piecing, and eventually two quilts to assemble and finish. I was fully aware of that when I started, although I may have underestimated how many other projects would be competing for my attention by October.
We're nine months into the program now, with just three months remaining. I'm looking forward to seeing both quilts completed, although I haven't given much thought to how I'll quilt them yet. That decision can wait until I've finished making the blocks. I have enough decisions to make without borrowing trouble from December.
Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery: October Block
I also finished the October block for the Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Block of the Month, so that's another project caught up for the moment.
This month's block features pink floral fabrics and soft blue prints against a white background. I really like the combination, particularly the contrast between the larger floral prints and the smaller blue designs. The four repeating units give the block a lovely sense of movement, and the lighter fabrics keep the overall design from looking too busy.
I'm enjoying watching this quilt develop one block at a time. That's one of the things I appreciate about Block of the Month programs: each month brings a new design, and there's a certain satisfaction in finishing a block and adding it to the collection. Of course, that satisfaction is considerably greater when I actually finish the block during the month it's supposed to be completed.
Between this one and the two A Quilting Life blocks, I've managed to make a respectable dent in my monthly sewing obligations. I'm not going to calculate how many other projects are waiting for attention, because that would rather spoil the accomplishment.
A Recliner Full of Projects
During the worst of my illness, I wasn't doing much of anything. Once I started feeling a little better, however, I found myself reaching for projects that didn't require sitting at a sewing machine.
My Spellbound Sue quilt has been living beside my recliner, so I managed to get some embroidery done on that. This project combines piecing, appliqué, embroidery, and eventually quilting, which is part of what attracted me to it in the first place. I've been enjoying the embroidery more than I expected, particularly the little details that give each design its personality. It's also nice to have something I can pick up for a short while without needing to get everything out and set up a workspace.
I've also done a little English paper piecing and worked on some granny square crochet. The crochet is another one of those interests that has managed to find its way into my already crowded collection of hobbies. I have no compelling explanation for why someone with more quilting projects than she can reasonably finish needs to add another fiber craft to the mix, but here we are.
I've discovered that having several types of handwork available is rather convenient when I'm confined to my recliner, although I would have preferred to make that discovery under more pleasant circumstances. And while I managed a little progress on several things, I certainly wasn't enjoying some peaceful, restorative break from my usual activities. I was mostly irritated that I couldn't do more.
Back to the Dining Room
My sewing machines have been waiting for me in the dining room, which has served as my sewing den for years now. The room surrendered its original purpose a long time ago, and I have no intention of returning it to dining-room duty anytime soon.
I did, however, manage to rearrange things while I was procrastinating.
I find it interesting how easily I can convince myself that reorganizing my sewing area is a productive use of time when there are actual projects waiting to be finished. To be fair, moving things around can make the space more functional, and I do enjoy finding better ways to organize my supplies and equipment. But there is also a point at which rearranging furniture and shifting fabric from one location to another becomes a rather elaborate way of avoiding whatever I was supposed to be doing.
At least the room looks a little different now, and I'm hoping the new arrangement works better. After years of sewing in the dining room, I've learned that having a dedicated sewing space doesn't necessarily require having a room originally intended for sewing. It does, however, require a certain willingness to sacrifice the dining room. That particular sacrifice was made years ago, and I haven't lost much sleep over it.
Getting back to my machines over the past few days has been wonderful. I missed being able to sit down and sew for more than a few minutes, and finishing the Spring Dreams top and my BOM blocks has given me a much-needed sense of accomplishment after several weeks of doing very little.
What's Next? I Have a Thought, Which Is Not Necessarily a Plan
Now that I'm feeling better, my attention has already wandered toward several new ideas. I know I have plenty of existing projects to finish, but apparently that knowledge has very little influence over my imagination.
I've been thinking about making a quilted sweatshirt, along with some T-shirts and baseball caps featuring quilt blocks. I've seen different ways of incorporating quilting into clothing and accessories, and I have some ideas of my own that I'd like to experiment with.
The trouble is that I can picture what I want the finished items to look like, but I haven't entirely figured out how I'm going to make them. This is a recurring theme in my sewing adventures. I become interested in an idea, spend some time imagining the possibilities, and then discover that the actual construction requires a few techniques I haven't quite mastered. Occasionally, it also requires equipment, supplies, or an understanding of garment construction that I neglected to consider when the idea first occurred to me.
I don't find that particularly discouraging. I've learned quite a bit by attempting things I wasn't entirely sure how to make, although I've also produced a few questionable results along the way. I suspect the quilted sweatshirt will involve some experimenting, and I haven't ruled out the possibility of sacrificing a sweatshirt or two in the process.
The baseball caps may prove even more interesting. I have a vision for them, but the logistics are still a little hazy. I suppose I'll find out whether the idea is worth pursuing once I start working on it. If nothing else, it should give me something to write about, particularly if things go badly.
Getting Back on the Posting Wagon
Along with getting back to my sewing machines, I need to get back to writing regularly. I've missed sharing my projects, exploring quilting history, and spending time researching the many things about sewing and quilting that I still want to learn.
I know my posting has been inconsistent, and I appreciate those of you who have continued following along despite the gaps. Between family, work, and the general demands of life, it's been difficult to find the time to do everything I'd like. Adding three weeks of illness certainly didn't improve the situation.
I do intend to get back on the posting wagon soon. I have several topics I'd like to explore, more quilting history to research, and plenty of projects in progress. I'm also interested in documenting some of my experiments with quilted clothing and accessories, particularly because I suspect there will be a few lessons worth sharing as I figure things out.
I started Chris Cross Quilts & More because I enjoy sewing, quilting, learning, and writing about all of it. That hasn't changed. What I haven't quite figured out is how to squeeze everything I want to do into the hours available, especially when life decides to interfere with my plans.
For now, I'm grateful to be feeling better and to have some finished projects to share. The Spring Dreams quilt top and pillow shams are complete, month nine of the A Quilting Life BOM is finished, the October Designer Mystery block is done, and I've made a little progress on several handwork projects. I've even rearranged the sewing den, although whether that qualifies as sewing progress is open to interpretation.
I still have far more ideas than time, and I suspect that isn't going to change anytime soon. But I'm looking forward to getting back into my projects, trying a few new things, and sharing whatever comes of them.
Hopefully, the next Stitch Report won't require me to reconstruct several weeks of my life from photographs and whatever memories survived the plague.
Until next time, happy stitching!
Chris
Chris Cross Quilts & More
