I've been working on this king-size so long that I cannot say whether I like it or not. However, as the end is in sight, it is turning out better than I expected. Here is the large leaf on the left side. It was NOT flat and yet the quilting made it lay down and be flat. Truly, quilting makes the quilt.
I've done more than half the sand. It has the watery edge, then some grasses, then in the foreground some shells. For some reason, this part needed more quilting to get it to lay flat, but it is behaving nicely.
I'm no expert and this one proved it, but it is nearly finished. The foliage at the bottom remains, and it will be fun. Then the binding, all 400 inches (about) of it.
Many quilters and others prayed concerning those fires in Colorado and particularly in regard to the home of Ricky Tims because he is such a well-known person in the quilting world.
I prayed (and likely others did too) that God would do whatever most glorified Him. He did and surprised us all.
Ricky told his supporters to spread the news so I am using the two pictures on his Facebook page that made me weep. The first is "Before" with his house in the lower center. The next is "After" and as you can see, the whole area was incinerated — except Ricky's house!
I've not met Ricky Tims but have used his ideas and am a member of "The Quilt Show" that is usually taped in La Veta Colorado. Most know about the fires that have swept through that part of the world. Sadly, Ricky's home is in the path of that fire. It is likely burned. If anyone wants the latest news, this link will take you to his blog. His partner has taken computers, quilts, and their dogs to safety.
This is my "rhapsody" quilt inspired by Ricky's instructions.
Another well-known quilter's home could also be in danger. Judith Baker Montano lives in La Veta. Her sister lives in my city and I know her fairly well, enough to feel emotions of this family.
Fire is one of the most devastating tragedies. Others have lost homes - because a man (already in police custody) decided to light this one.
I know this blog is about quilting, but these quilters are part of our world and our love of making quilts.
The last comment reinforced my decision...no holes. Just line them up using a half-size block to finish the ends. Here is part of it on my 4 x 8 design wall. The rest is laid out on the craft table and only some of the half-blocks are done. They are 6 x 6 because the larger blocks are actually 6 x 10, not 5 x 10 so the setting will be uneven... which makes it more interesting anyway.
This is what Scott's king-size looks like now. I have to finish quilting the sand, all the foliage on either side of the sand and water, and this stretch of foliage along the bottom. I'm working one hour a day, which is about all I can handle. My meds and heart condition makes naps a must and there is eating and so on... Sigh.
Oh don't you love it when the doing goes beyond planning and then turn around and bites you? I've made a bunch of these blocks (randomly placed)
and then decided I like them better in the next layout (also randomly placed).
The problem is I'd like to fill those 2 inch holes with something dark, but have no idea how to sew it together without a whole mess of partial seams. If I started out with making a pattern with wide and narrow rows, it would have worked, but that would remove the ability to do much rearranging.
Sigh. Does anyone have a recipe to make this change? Or maybe the first design looks better anyway? All comments and opinions appreciated.
I don't set time goals for quilts because this is supposed to be relaxing, right? But this quilt has not been (no, I'm not going to whine). Now I'm quilting it. Here is a small section partly done. Actually, this part was fun. The leaves are dark enough that my jiggles and jerks are not too visible.
This is a relaxing break from the beach scene. The pieces are all 2.5 x 6.5 making blocks that will finish at 6" x 10" - I'm making about 81 or more of them, and likely a border. Good stash buster that will require more thinking/planning when the blocks are all finished and need a better arrangement. At the moment, sewing them is like a coffee break (I don't drink coffee) when free motion becomes tiring. I will use a panto on this hot chili pot!
Scott's king-size is on the long arm, but instead of showing a picture of it partly quilted (will later), here is a picture of the backing. Before pinning and rolling up some of the front, it was draped over the machine and looked like a 4-person tent! This particular backing is 120" wide.
I let the photo stick out to emphasize how I feel about working on this monster. I've never procrastinated so much in my life over anything else.
