Delayed Intent

Last Sunday when I posted my update for the stash report, I had the intent to follow that up on Monday with a photo of my completed Grand Illusion top, though technically it wasn't on my design wall, and I forgot to do so.   That delay actually turned out ok because now I can post it and link it up with Bonnie Hunter's Link-up for showing our G.I. progress.  

Flame is giving it her final once over...she approved.

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I went to the LQS where I had bought the yellow fabric back I think in July, and they still had more, so I bought an additional yard.  I will use it for the binding and what I have remaining at home was less than what I need.  Any extra will go into my stash.  I also found a fabric I think will be good for the backing and if I didn't get enough yardage of it, I'll incorporate some of the leftover scraps and miss-cuts.  I'll report about those tomorrow for stash report....if I can remember to write up the post.  I don't have my purchase amounts committed to memory so will have to do that post a bit later as I'm watching a sappy Hallmark Channel love story.

Stash Report - Week 4, 2015

I did it!  I finished piecing the top of Grand Illusion.  The borders went on easier than I expected after battling my motivational issues on getting it done at all.  And it was done before I headed back here to the Northwest.  Now, to figure out the numbers on that quilt, hmmm, seems I left all the paperwork at home :/  so how much fabric should I guesstimate for a top with a gazillion pieces and seams, that measures xx" square.  I was thinking a minimum of five yards, and then remembered that Bonnie gave us yardages.  Do you know her yardages added up to 12.7 yards fabric not including backing and binding?  That seems quite high to me, but maybe with all those seams it's close.  I think I will only guess about eight at this point and then when I get back home, I'll adjust my numbers after I take a true count from my own records.  

Used This Week: 8 yards
Used Year to Date:  8 yards  
Added This Week Month: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards  
Net Used / Added for 2015: 8 yards 

Linking @ Patchwork Times 

Now next week may have a slight adjustment as I'm going to head over to the quilt shop in town today and see if they have any more of the yellow constant I used in G.I.  I still have some at home, but measured and it's not enough to do the binding in yellow, which is what I wanted right from the get-go.  Had I not made a mis-cut, I would have had enough.  If they don't have the same fabric (I did buy it originally at this quilt store) I'll use something from my stash, but then I also know I just still may walk out with something.  

There's a Coastal Quilt Run coming up real soon too which my aunt and I plan to do, so I'm sure I'll be reversing that stash outage - what's a girl to do when she's never completed a shop hop and that's my goal for this quilter's run on the coast.

Stash Report - Week 3, 2015

I had hoped to have Grand Illusion done to flimsy by today, but while I'm close, I still have six long seams to accomplish and I'm out of steam today....and it's only a little past mid-day!

With not being able to count this quilt's yardage out since it isn't yet a flimsy (MY rule for MYself), I have no changes to last week's numbers once again.   

Used This Week: 0 yards
Used Year to Date:  0 yards
Added This Week Month: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used / Added for 2015: 0 yards 

Linking @ Patchwork Times

The yellow border has been added to just two sides - how funny, in this image, it almost doesn't look sewn on, but it is.

The pieced borders prepared and awaiting their turn.  I pinned the ones on the left up over themselves to keep them off the floor, in case you were wondering why they look funny in the middle, but the far right row....:

Oh darn, looky there! and compare the photo above.  The far right border row has a section sewn on backwards; guess that means yet one more seam after I unsew it - at least it's a short seam!

What Was My Plan?

While working on Grand Illusion, I was distracted a lot.  I'll explain that in part later.  One of my distractions comes from hanging out on the computer far too long.  I hang out on Facebook (my real me one, but I do have one set up as Lee Young), I read many other blogs, I check email and the myriad of listings of potential property I might want to buy (dreaming) that show up via Trulia, I watch TV in the background, I do housework, and I take naps.  Naps are important.  Unfortunately they want to happen right before I need to pick Nick up from school and they have to be postponed till I get home, and then when I awake, it's time to think about dinner.  All of that to lead up to What Was My Plan?  And, have you ever done this?

I set aside these two-inch squares, wrote that very sketchy note/plan, and wrapped it all up in another piece of paper, stuck a rubber band around it and stuck it in a drawer to be worked on after Grand Illusion.  I'm sure I saw a quilt or block on a blog or in a store advertisement or who-knows-where, that I thought would be great to do, maybe for my grandson?, but I have no real clue!  I didn't make note of where I saw what - guess I thought I'd remember, and clearly I don't.  I suppose I could use the line my dad is now sarcastically saying "maybe it's that dementia".  Should I be worried?  And better yet, will I be able to figure out and make whatever I thought about?  I even wrote down a project # for it and that I'd spent .8 of an hour selecting those 2" squares!  Even if I don't remember, I can put them away and start any one of hundreds of projects available, or make an effort at finishing the double-digit number of flimsies awaiting a finish!

Lest you be thinking about this time, that I'm done with G.I., I'm not, I am still making progress, but I only have a couple more days.  I will be leaving on Tuesday barring any potential delays.

The rows are done and I laid them out over the stair railing to get an idea of how it was looking.  Looks pretty much like so many others.  Are you all tired of seeing the same quilt, same colors everywhere you look?

Here I have the sashing strip rows attached to the rows of blocks.

Here they are all sewn together and placed in a more, ahem, photographic display (?).

And laid out on the railing with the photo taken from the top of the stairwell instead of from the hallway door.

I really, really like the block and overall pattern of this quilt and I've written about how much I struggled to stay motivated and on task with it.  That which has become evident as 'bothersome' to me is with some of the color choices - this is not at all to fault Bonnie Hunter, it is merely what appeals to me, or doesn't, in general.  For me, the greens and teals do not bring me peace.  The quilt is bright, which is also something I don't normally piece, but I'm open to trying different styles.  Funny though is, green has been my favorite color and I've always liked teal/aqua shades, but together - meh, not so much, and maybe it's that this shade of green tends to read more lime than grass even though it matched the paint chips.  I wonder if a more pine-green might have worked better.  Once I get the two borders on, I may find I like it better, but of three Quiltville mysteries I've participated in, this is probably my least favorite from the color choices.

Design Wall Monday

For some reason I've been thinking today is Tuesday.  Before Tuesday does get here, I'd better get Monday taken care of, so I'm linking my update at Patchwork Times.

I made pretty good progress on Grand Illusion over the weekend.   

I've sewn all the sashing strips together into rows.  They're hanging vertically, though I sewed them horizontally, but it probably doesn't matter since it's a square quilt.  It was easier to pin them to the wall vertically :)

Flame is finding these sets quite comfy.  This is the stack of completed inner blocks with the sashing edge pinned.  I think my next project will require a lot less pinning!  I'm very tired of pinning and trying to make sure I don't lop off points or leave the points floating. 

Sewn on and pressed.  I now have the blocks pinned to make rows, so will work on those while I root for the Ducks :)

I'm still not sure I'll get this to a flimsy before I leave for the wet land, but it'll be close. 

Stash Report - Week 2, 2015

OK, so I really have nothing to report, yet, but thought I'd at least post that I have nothing in, and nothing out.  

Used This Week: 0 yards 
Used Year to Date:  yards  
Added This Week Month: 0 yards  
Added Year to Date: 0 yards  
Net Used / Added for 2015: 0 yards 


Linking @ Patchwork Times

Slow, Yes Really Slow!

I'm sure glad this Grand Illusion thing isn't a race, because I'd be losing big time!  I found the reveal exciting and the quilt is gorgeous - aren't they all? - but good golly Miss Molly, I am flat out struggling to stay focused on getting it to the flimsy stage.  

I'm pinning alot to try to get as close to perfect on the points - no easy task since I seem to have every seam of every unit off by a thread...or a few or more.  

After the reveal was released, I pinned up one block, sashings and cornerstones.

All the sashings ready to be joined.

Progress on those sashing sets.

I added an aqua square to the end of the sashing strips.  I reserved an aqua square for the final end of each row.

Eight of the basic blocks set out on the design wall.  The 9-patch-constructed-units within the block have not yet been sewn together.  As I placed the parts on the wall, I found I was taking a lot of time making sure that not too many of the same fabrics were in each block.  It was really frustrating me.  I think I actually like this look, without the greens, but I will finish as Bonnie designed...besides, what would I do with all those sashing units?  Make a separate quilt maybe?  Hmmm.  Could happen. 

So, I then removed those eight from the wall, stacking them in their appropriate positions on my table.  From there, I tossed all the remaining units (of the same type) into a bin and basically closed my eyes and counted enough to reach the required number.  They were then placed on the table in their respective places.  I repeated this process until  I had the equivalent needed for all the large blocks.

Bin of broken dishes units.

Here's where some of my perfection was, well, anything BUT perfection.  As they say, rippit, rippit, rippit.

The central part of the overall block is now in three rows, ready to be sewn together.

The top and middle are now sewn together.  The remaining row was all pinned, and I sewed a little over half, but have run out of steam for now.  Tomorrow's another day!

I readied the inner border even before tackling the blocks and wrapped it around a section of wrapping paper tube.

So much to do, so little time; less than two weeks before I head back north.  I'm beginning to think that having this reach the flimsy stage may not happen until after I get back.

Linking up at Quiltville...even if I am later than everyone else :)

(edited 2-4-15 to remove some numbers)