Saturday, March 31, 2018

Qara // 9

I am adding hand quilting lines to Qara but since I'm spending more time with Crux progress is super slow here. I guess Qara will have to wait until I finish piecing the top for Crux.

I almost think I could have machine quilted all of it. Not sure the final look is worth the time. And the strain on my fingers.




So these are my two current projects. Both requiring only hand sewing at the moment. Both involving lots of white. High time to start something new!





Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Crux // 3

I don't have exciting pictures to show at the moment as progress is slow on this epp quilt and the only thing happening is more of white squares being added.



The only other news I can share is that in contrary to previous epp projects, I'm removing the papers as I go as soon as blocks are being joint. While I love the crisp sight of a back filled with papers, removing them all at once really isn't that exciting to do. Of course it also saves paper as I get to reuse them.





And just because a little bit more color doesn't harm...






Friday, March 16, 2018

Crux // 2

I'm making progress with Crux. All the black&white blocks are sewn and I'm working on the white only filler blocks. Of course since I didn't plan ahead on fabric needs, I ran out of the white fabrics. Luckily I was able to refill pretty quickly so nothing is holding me back on sewing countless number of white squares.




Life is a strange thing. How is it that I buy white fabrics only to cut them up and sew them back together? Funny mind of mine. I like what I'm doing but at the same time I'm having lots of second thoughts! Go figure.





Sunday, March 11, 2018

Qara // 8

Finished the machine quilting part. Now to add the hand quilting. So Qara and Crux are now competing for my hand sewing time windows. Who will win? I can't tell.






Friday, March 9, 2018

Qara // 7

It's been a while since basting Qara.



I had different ideas on how to quilt it and to help me decide I once again resorted to the tracing on copies method.

My first idea looked like this. I would machine quilt these lines


And then maybe add some hand quilting.



Or why not something completely different?


Or why not going crazy?


Sometimes I wish I didn't have that many ideas!





This time I went back to my first thought. While I really like the second one, it bothers me that it changes the look of the blocks from my original intention.



So I'll do the one on the top and probably save the other idea for a Qara II. This will be the first time I'll mix machine and hand quilting. Looking forward to this new experience.



Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Crux // 1

After many thoughts back and forth I've finally decided how I want to arrange these black & white squares. The final layout will be none of the previously shown here. So for once I'm not going back to my first idea as it so often happens. Instead I've come up with a completely different one that I'm going to hold back for a moment or two. Just because.

I've also found the name for this quilt. I'm naming it Crux. Because it had become a crux to define the layout. But now that I have it I'm in love with it. The name is meant in a loving way. It will remind me that it is worth to take the time to think things over and to wait to move on until I'm really feeling convinced and satisfied of what I'm doing. I hope I will still feel this way when the quilt will be done. And if so, the name will remind me of the path it took to get there.

So while I'm not yet showing the final overall design I can share the blocks that I've started to sew.