Time of the year II

This is also the time of the year for the Blogger’s Quilt Festival and somehow I found bravery to enter my Pheasant quilt. It fits to several categories like large quilt, home machine quilted, applique, original design.... I decided to go for applique, because basically this quilt was about learning applique. You can click on the links and see yourself all the entries and if you find something you really like, you are very welcome to leave your vote.

Design is mine, each corner has a story behind its design, quilting is rather dense, back is plain red and surprisingly, at the end of the job there were rather small amount of big quilting mistakes to deal with. The fabric is cotton sateen.

The making of this quilt are here, here, here  here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and finally here. 

O happy day! I'm back!

Skipping and dancing around the table! I finally ... FINALLY.... finished quilting the pheasant quilt! Hurrah!

I must admit there were moments when I was ready to rip it apart, wrap tightly and hide in the deepest drawer, or drown in the sea...

Right now, before washing, it contains about two pints of my own sweat ( I carried on at +38 C in shade), daily from March till August. And now the quilting is done. My biggest project so far. And hardest.

I took advice about practicing on quilting, and slowly I'm getting there. The quilt is very densely quilted, just for practice, overall about 25 standard 400 Y spools of yarn for the top (the same amount went for the bobin). Of course, there are still plenty of mistakes, but I can see some improvement in my quilting so it was well worth it.

Tomorrow it will be washed and all that, but in general it's DONE! WHOOP-WHOOP!

So now it's time to tidy up the scrap bag - the minute pieces of scrap had built up past the last 6 months. Already divided the leftpvers into three colour schemes and will put as much of these bits together - plenty for few quite large blocks. 

Finally getting there

Right. I finally did it - I started quilting the pheasant quilt. It has no deadlines, so I probably will be having fun the whole July over it but who cares - I started it. 

It's not a show quilt, it will be tested by dogs and cats, so I'm not afraid of rough environment while making it - it must be ready for spinning in washing machine instead of gentle "dry clean" only approach so as it was a nice sunny day,  I got my sunbathing gear on and voila! Birds singing, butterflies passing and right beyond these little pines is sea.

Here, see - it's a proof! I do take holidays seriously, you know. 

Sometimes (only sometimes) life can be sooo good!

Woop-whoop!

Finally my pheasant top is done, and on the 5^th, as I planned to, despite all the puppy fun around! A complete whoop-whoop time for me today! 

Even better – the material which I hoped to use for the back, is exactly as big as I needed to – no need to mess around, adding this and that! 

I bought a piece eons ago and didn’t dare to unfold it before the top is finished – I didn’t wanted to think about a problem before it arises. I unfolded it today, measured and... like I purchased it exactly for this quilt! 

So it's officially then – today is my lucky day! 

Now the ugly part – I hate quilting. As my quilt is rather big, I’ll be fighting with arm space again, and it drives me crazy. So for the next week or so I ‘ll be totally grumpy. I had been studying a lot of quilting close ups on Quilt Inspiration and now I have convinced myself that my quilting skills are not a total disaster but still – I’m dreaming about a space and a long arm.... You are allowed to dream, don’t you? 

 

Dog, puppies and Ukraine

My foster puppies are doing great, running around like loonies, and finally the dog on the left bottom corner of Pheasant Quilt is finished. 

What else to wish for? Nicer weather? Winning a lottery? LOL 

With puppies I have only one problem – I can’t get them on dry food. They have a high quality starter, and Royal Canin puppy food to choose from but they hate both. They prefer freshly made curd with an egg yolk or boiled chicken breast, finely chopped instead. It's not a problem for me, but it will be definitely a problem when they will be moved to the shelter. 

Actually, my head is full not with puppies but with Ukraine. The things are not going great there and I worry that further developments can lead to unpleasant changes in whole Europe. But that’s politics, not quilting.

THE DRUNKEN ROOSTER

The right top corner of pheasant quilt is done. It’s almost like I wanted it – almost. The main achievement – I think the drunken rooster has some character in him. LOL  

There is some paper piecing (without paper, I was creative... or lazy... so I made it all free hand) mixed with appliqué, and the outcome isn’t bad (or, will be, after quilting). 

The main thing I learned with this quilt so far is – starch is your best friend, especially when working with cotton sateen. Sateen is floating in all directions, and really hard to work with in comparison with nice, sturdy cotton. So I just starch, starch and starch again, each step, and it makes my life so much easier.

Now only three corners left. I set up my target – to finish the corners until the 5^th May, so I can start quilting. Now I’m curious will I be able to press on to reach the target.

The spring is here!

It’s a wonderful weekend here – the weather is unbelievable, earliest spring we ever had, according to the records. Extended weekend means that I’m out of my paper gathering rat race and I can enjoy four peaceful days! That’s a treat itself.   

Yesterday I was totally lazy, just lied on sofa, watched all three series of Black books and basted the rest of leaves I need for the pheasant quilt. Sun is shining, it’s + 20 C outside, birds are singing like mad and I have four days to enjoy it all uninterrupted! What can be better? 

I also had some time to start playing with my H2H project. I haven’t officially signed in as I’m leading quite hectic and unpredictable life right now so I can’t sign in on a long term project with full responsibility. But still - if I will have enough time, I want to give it a try.  So yesterday I made the first 16 blocks for the quilt and played a bit what I can do with them. 

The design of the H2H top still hasn’t settled in. I haven’t also decided on the charity I would like to donate it or on the type of the quilt, and I’m still brewing on all these. 

I’m not a really well organised person, I usually like the project grow as it goes, but maybe this time I need a different, better organised approach as I want the receiver to really enjoy it.