Sunday, March 14, 2010

How Do You Get Out Of A Quilting Slump?

Not sure what's going on - I haven't been real motivated lately to make progress on my latest project . . . the Jewel Toned Quilt for the Family Room.  I put together this quilt top a couple of years ago, one of my first ever quilts, while we were staying in a wonderful house by the ocean at Sea Ranch.  We used it as a doorway curtain panel at our old place.  I finally got around to piecing it together and have completed the "stitching in the ditch" yet the pattern also calls for hand sewing squares in each window - something I am not good at!  Plus my hands hurt in no time at all.  The thought of stuffing this big thing through my little sewing machine neck to free motion some squares seems daunting so it's just been sitting in my little studio, with no progress being made.


I decided that I better get going on Hannah's 18th birthday/high school graduation quilt.  After a lot of cutting I laid out the pieces yesterday.  It's too big for my design wall so I had to lay it out on the living room floor - ugh, my body was sore after that one!  Maybe I should have paid attention to the size of the quilt - it's going to be my biggest yet.  What was I thinking?


I love the colors of the fabrics - it's a Diamond quilt from Kaffe Fassett's book "Kaleidoscope of Quilts".  I bought the fabric from Glorious Color, which is owned by Liza Prior Lucy (she works closely with Kaffe on his fabric lines and books).


Now the problem is, I've never sewn diamonds before and I can't figure out how to get the pieces to be even.  And it's not clear in the book instructions.  I keep sewing and then ripping out the pieces.  I think I may have finally solved it . . . we'll see.


There are a lot of pieces to sew together!