I have a finish to show you.
About a thousand years ago, I started a Faceted Jewels quilt. I’d always loved the design.
It’s finally, finally a top now. I don’t want to begin adding up the amount of pieces in the thing. But there are many.
It’s not that big really – it finishes about 78” square.
It really was a bugger of a thing, excuse my French. It was all going along swimmingly, and I cut all the pieces out. The fancy triangles, (I don’t know their proper name, but it’s the ones on the four centres of the block) I cut them out using my brand new Accuquilt cutter.
Well, I cut the whole lot out. Thousands (or so it seemed) of little pieces. However, when I went to sew them, they didn’t sew up right. Every single one was smaller than it should have been. I put the thing away in disgust, knowing I should probably recut them. But all that fabric – I just didn’t know what to do about the whole mess.
When I needed a project for our all day Sewing Day just gone, I pulled this quilt out. I’d decided just to finish it as best I could, matching seams or no matching seams, and call it done. So I sewed all day Saturday, lots of Sunday and some of Monday. And I can finally call it done.
And it’s not half bad, when you look at it this way.
I have this dilemma all the time. I try my hardest to get the technique perfect, and early into the design I find it’s actually harder than I thought, or my skills are not good enough to pull it off yet, and I put the design away in anger. But that doesn’t achieve anything, really. I’m pleased with myself that I finished this one off, and whilst it won’t win any quilting prizes, it’s not actually that bad!
Which is not to say I don’t think I should try my hardest – I do really want to be a better quilter. But this one will be quilted up and its bright cheery colours will make me happy, and that’s really all that should matter. I’d love to be the sort of quilter who wins prizes, who aims at the start of the quilt to win prizes. But I don’t have the stamina for that, at least right now. I just enjoy the process, and if I can get gradually better each quilt I make, then that’s a positive thing.
That’s my thought for the day. Hope you enjoyed my little show and tell.
Happy Quilting!
Suzie
That is a seriously awesome quilt Suzie! I used to teach quilting, and still do the odd workshop. I always say you need to be happy with your quilt. And you obviously are, and rightly so. So don't worry about being "a quilter who wins prizes". The prize this time is a quilt that you can justifiably be proud of. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Dasha for your lovely comments. It looks lovely, I'll admit. This is one of those quilts that I had on my Quilt Bucket List, so I can cross it off now, perfect or not.
Deleteoh, this quilt is just FABULOUS!!! Where did you find the pattern? This is now at the top of my to-do list!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteHi Karin,
DeleteYou can purchase the pattern here: http://www.gladcreationsquilts.com/shop/Glad-Creations-Patterns/p/Faceted-Jewels-sku-GC111.htm (hope that link works). I didn't use a pattern, I just worked it out on my own from photos. It's really not a difficult pattern, you just have to have your wits about you in regards to placement.
IT's beautiful. I'm doing a 30's BOM and it's not going to look half as great as yours. Don't worry about imperfections, in my experience, unless its in a show people don't look that closely for them xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
Deletei'm sure your quilt will look just stunning. You can't make a dud thirties quilt, I think. I've never seen one :)
Congratulations! You've won first prize for the "Struggle On Competition," and your prize is a gorgeous new 30's quilt top, LOL! Galloping by on a horse, I saw no imperfections, so it must be perfect!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks so much for that! I use that saying all the time!
DeleteSuzie, this is beautiful! No if and buts about it! You finished it Girl. All are very pleased with it and you. Big Smile now for the Cameras.......
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much Denise. I'm glad people like it. I love it now it's finished, but was well and truly over it by the final seams. It's soooo heavy too!
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