Just seven more seams to join the rows together and the center of the queen size Japanese Jigsaw quilt will be assembled and I can take it off the design wall. It’s about time. This photo is the bottom half of the quilt which will attach to the top half from yesterdays photo. I have a love/hate/love relationship with all of the projects I make. I love the beginning, the planning the excitement of a new project. The project looses its appeal when I have past the point of creativity and I no longer need my imagination to see what it will look like finished. The part when the instructions read “make 4 million identical units” is the moment when I start to loose interest. I’m also easily distracted (usually toward a new project) so I have to create ways to stay focused.
To get through the construction of all 88 units for this project I have been using a stack of small tumblers to keep me interested. We have an Accuquilt die cutting machine here at the store. In addition to being my favorite new toy, I “need” to make samples of the dies that we have so that customers can see what is available. I cut stacks of the small tumbler using my big bin of 1930’s reproduction fabrics. As I am sewing the JJ units together, I feed a pair of tumblers through at the same time. I clip the JJ unit off, press and add the next JJ unit. Before removing it from my machine I feed through another random set of tumblers. This process always keeps something under my needle. The entire quilt is chain pieced and as an added bonus, I was making a table runner size sample of the tumblers at the same time.
Unfortunately – or fortunately, I never calculated how MANY tumblers I would need for the table runner. I just cut, sewed and when a strip looked long enough I stopped adding to it. The plan was to work out the details when I thought I had enough. Judging from the strips I have partially assembled and the stack of tumblers I have yet to use, this table runner is going to be a baby quilt! One thing I know for sure, I either need to add many more red pieces or that one in the middle had got to GO!
Later today I will be starting a new project. The JJ quilt needs a rest while I contemplate the borders. Once those dreaded 7 final seams are together and I toss it on the queen size bed at our house to calculate borders, I will fall in love with it again.
Karen
To get through the construction of all 88 units for this project I have been using a stack of small tumblers to keep me interested. We have an Accuquilt die cutting machine here at the store. In addition to being my favorite new toy, I “need” to make samples of the dies that we have so that customers can see what is available. I cut stacks of the small tumbler using my big bin of 1930’s reproduction fabrics. As I am sewing the JJ units together, I feed a pair of tumblers through at the same time. I clip the JJ unit off, press and add the next JJ unit. Before removing it from my machine I feed through another random set of tumblers. This process always keeps something under my needle. The entire quilt is chain pieced and as an added bonus, I was making a table runner size sample of the tumblers at the same time.
Unfortunately – or fortunately, I never calculated how MANY tumblers I would need for the table runner. I just cut, sewed and when a strip looked long enough I stopped adding to it. The plan was to work out the details when I thought I had enough. Judging from the strips I have partially assembled and the stack of tumblers I have yet to use, this table runner is going to be a baby quilt! One thing I know for sure, I either need to add many more red pieces or that one in the middle had got to GO!
Later today I will be starting a new project. The JJ quilt needs a rest while I contemplate the borders. Once those dreaded 7 final seams are together and I toss it on the queen size bed at our house to calculate borders, I will fall in love with it again.
Karen
3 comments:
Making "four million identical units" is why I almost NEVER make any traditional style quilts. Leave the red tumbler and name it Brandon....or JJ
Nice to know I'm not alone in my love/hate/love relationship with my quilt projects...I just thought I needed more time with my therapist!
Yep, me, too. I get all excited in the design phase, and during the first few blocks, but then it gets boring, so I have to push myself to finish it. Or at least get it to a more interesting phase. That's probably why I have so many projects going at the same time - variety is the spice of life! By the way - just throw a few more red tumblers in.....
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