On sticking with your instincts

When I first picked the fabrics for my Kitchen Windows quilt, I was drawn to using a light blue fabric for the sashing.  I had planned on purchasing it at a local quilt store, but they didn't actually have any (one of the many LQS conundrums* I have found recently).  So I bought another light blue fabric with a darker texture to it. When I got it home, I pretty much hated it.  The textured look of the fabric totally threw off the balance of the quilt, and the darker shade was anything but right in this context.

I eventually settled on Kona Solids light blue, but from the moment I paid for it, I felt fairly unsettled about it.  I really wanted this to be a soft palette with the pinks and grays and pop of red, and I wasn't sure if the blue would interfere with that.  I let the fabric and blocks sit for a couple months while I finished many other projects.

Last week I decided it was time to go for it.  I cut all the sashing, but the whole time I still wasn't sure if it would produce a quilt I would be crazy about or one that would make me crazy.  Well, last night I all but finished the quilt top, and I.love.it.

I am crazy about this quilt.  The blue was so right.  Even in this photo, the "big picture" feel is missing but hopefully you can see why I am so glad that I stuck with my instincts on this one.  Keep in mind that the binding is a pink/gray combo to tie that palette back in all the way around so as not to allow the blue to overpower everything.  I don't know if this follows color rules or not, but in my mind it totally does! 

In case you missed it, the Kitchen Windows quilt is one of the many patterns found in Elizabeth Hartman's book, The Practical Guide to Patchwork.

*About those conundrums...why would a quilt shop not have a simple light blue fabric or even a charcoal gray or solid black, for crying out loud??  Both of our local shops are totally lacking in the solids department.
And another thing I don't understand...in my quest for an alternative to doing the quilting on my machine (see here or here if you're a new reader), I have found that [our] local quilt shops don't actually have a way for you to make a quilt.  They can give you names of people to do the quilting for you with a long arm machine--for which you'll pay with one of your limbs--but forget about having resources to actually enable the quilter to do the quilting.
Sewing machine accessories?  Yet another thing missing from the local shops. 
Sewing machines? nada.
OK, enough whining.  But really, do your local shops have any of these options?  Are my expectations way out of line??  Does someone want to start a LQS with me that carries solids and machines and allows quilters to do their own quilting should their machine fail them?

***UPDATED*** OK, so there actually is such a thing as a long arm rental!  I finally found a local "sewing center" that rents its long arm machine for a much more affordable price than having someone else do it (and you can still have the satisfaction of making your own quilt).  So, I have scheduled a time to take the class to learn to use the machine and I've schedule TWO days of quilting.  So now I really do have to finish all three quilts by next month in order to get them all quilted before baby comes.  Eep! I am so excited about this! ***consider this quilting drama over for now.  I'll spare you for a while.***

I need to get on with my day.  Happy Friday!!

The Farmer's Wife Takes the World by Storm

Three days ago I stumbled upon someone's blog who mentioned the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along; little did I know just what a big deal this is!  Based on The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt, folks all over the quilting world are trying their hand at traditional quilt block but typically using modern fabric combinations. 

Here is a great example of some of the blocks from Lynn at Lilys Quilts

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What I find most appealing about this quilt is that while the blocks go together, none of the are the same.  So each one is its own new little world and new project.  Forget the sweatshop of sewing 30 of the same block to make your quilt; you get to enjoy learning a new six inch beauty every step of the way! 

So, am I joining?  Not yet.  I can't.  As you saw yesterday, I have some pretty big projects to finish before this baby comes in less than two months. {yikes!}  Instead I have joined the Flickr group, added the book to my post-baby wish list (and to-do list), and am enjoying seeing all the blocks others are busy making these days. 

Just in case you wanted to see a few more...

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Are you doing this quilt along?  I want to see your blocks if you are!

Work in Progress Wednesday: Stitch Ripping and a Quilt Top in progress

My last post was also a W.I.P. Wed. post.  What's that all about?!  Well, it's about the only progress being made this week was the backwards kind.  I spent three of four sewing nights pulling stitches out of the quilt.  And I'm still not finished.  But I am *so close*!  Also, it was hot.  And if it's hot outside, it's just as hot in my sewing room since there is no AC in that place.  And I'm pregnant, which doesn't mix well with hot!  All that to say, here's what I've got going on this week...

Finish removing the stitches from the Mod Sampler Quilt.  Did you know that for every minute you spend sewing something on the machine, you'll spend 5 minutes to take out those same stitches?  OK, so that's not scientific fact, but that's about how it seems to me right now.  I just need to decide on who I'm going to send it to for the actual quilting. insert sarcastic enthusiasm about paying someone else to do what I want to be doing.

All of the Kitchen Windows blocks are now ready to be sewn together!  I finally committed to the light blue sashing, which I still have mixed feelings over, but this was my original instinct so I'm sticking with it.  I chose the blue because the other main colors are pink/gray/red and I want Brandon to be able to like the quilt too.  I plan to finish start the quilt top this weekend.

I have one last quilt block to make for the MSQB and then I'm officially finished (well except for my quilt).  This block is for a man's quilt, so I'm super intimidated by it. I might put it off one more week until I know for sure I've settled on the right block. sorry, Sharon! I did get some "inspiration" about which fabrics to use today though.

I am really behind on getting up my review/reveal of the Amy Butler Sweet Harmony Tote I made last month.  I want to take good pictures to show you, but I'm stumped and feel like all my photos are lame-o these days. 

I have a New Wave quilt stack ready to go but I need to make/get the template. Oh, and I need to finish "all of the above" before starting this one.

I also need to mop my kitchen floor again. It's been a while.

I am still wondering: What kind of sewing machine do you use and is it pretty good with quilting?  I'm starting to think about getting a new machine, and I really want to be able to finish my quilts on it--something I can not do with my current machine.

I'm linking up with Lee today at Freshly Pieced!

W.I.P Wednesday: Kitchen Accessories!

Up until a month or so ago, I was not expecting to be making new kitchen accessories in this house, but here we are for an indefinite period, and I'm thankful for all the charm of an old kitchen to hang new goods.  I've started what will probably be a long process of making little things here and there between the bigger projects to spice up my own kitchen (no swaps for me at this point in pregnancy!).

Most of the fabrics I plan to use are from Alexander Henry's Farmdale line, but I'm sneaking in a few others as well including a piece of Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow and something from Anna Griffin (can't remember the print!) along the edge.

I'm also working on pulling all the stitches out of my sister's quilt so I can send it off to a pro; I need to commit one night and just do it. This is the worst kind of progress to have to make though!  I have all the fabric for the Kitchen Windows Quilt and need to finish putting that together, and if time and heat and energy permit, I'll be making one more quilt before baby comes in August.  And of course, I have one more Bee block to finish this month as well!  So plenty to be working on.

I'm linking up today with the Freshly Piece Work in Progress Wednesday

MSQB: June Block for Sandi

Sandi chose a really beautiful hexagon log cabin quilt block for her quilt and requested purple and gray with permission to use a few other "pops" of color.  We sort of used this tutorial, but I will admit it's more of a guide than anything.  It looks waaaay easier there than it really is. That's not in any way meant to slander the blog author!

I'm a little hesitant to show you this block because I feel like I kind of cheated in making it. In reality though I just had a little help from a friend.

My first go at making Layer One of the hexagon looked more like a diamond--not really a great start!  I quickly checked the discussion in the MSQB group to see if anyone else had started this block and was having problems, and sure enough Toni said her first try didn't work but she used her ruler's 60-degree angle feature, and that really helped.

First off, I didn't even know my quilting ruler had a 60-degree (or any degree!) angle until she said that.  I asked her to post a few pictures, which she did here and here, and that made all the difference.  Once I knew how to trim my fabrics after adding each pair, I was able to do this block sans problem.  The key is to trim every time you add a pair of fabrics rather than waiting to just trim up your hexie after each layer.  (If you're attempting this block, what I am saying will probably make a lot more sense than if you're just casually reading!)

So, after my first layer, I was thrilled.  It's so much better than the first try and even has six full sides!  All in all I think I spent about 3 hours on the block, including starting over after the first attempt and ripping the seams on two of my triangles when finishing the block.

I have to admit, I'm pretty pleased with how this one came out once it did!

I probably wouldn't recommend this for a bee unless you have a more detailed tutorial or are in a bee with geometry nerds, but if you feel comfortable with a good challenge, this is a great block for it.  I can see this turning out many different beautiful ways depending on the color and fabric combination used.

MSQB: May Cathedral Windows Block

When I started the Modern Stash Quilting Bee, Sara was one of my blog friends who I really hoped would join, and she did.  I knew she could be counted on for great style, impeccable skill, and choosing a challenging and creative block.  Little did I know just how right I was!

In May, Sara asked everyone to make a Cathedral Windows block using blue and green.  This is one of those blocks I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I never would have tried on my own.  Sara posted a few tips of her own, and we used the tutorials she linked to in her post to make the block.

Mine came out right on the first try--not something I have been able to say for all my blocks!  I really enjoyed making this block, and it is one I could see myself making again.  The only thing I did differently was to use pins to secure the printed fabric to the white when making my window frames because I didn't have any glue.

oops! I hit "publish" a few minutes too soon, so my links weren't active yet.  I've updated them and hopefully you'll get the "live" version.

Book Review: The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

 
Summary
Haji Hassan, the central character and narrator of Richard C. Morais' debut novel, The Hundred-Foot Journey, has a unique passion and talent for food.  Rooted in his grandfather's Bombay lunchbox-delivery-turned-restaurant, and tragic twist of fate transplants his family first in England then in the French Alps where Hassan's real talents and adventures begin. 

Hassan's father establishes a Bombay-style restaurant in the quaint Alpine town of Lumiere, only to find that Madame Mallory, Lumiere's local and famed chef, will not allow her grasp of the town's cuisine or culture to be easily infiltrated.  The Hundred-Foot Journey is as much fictional memoir as it is an insightful telling of journeys to manhood, friendship, and cultural understanding.

My review
The Hundred-Foot Journey opens as a page-turner, immediately grasping the reader with it's character and plot development.  This continues throughout much of the book but seems to loose its grip about 3/4 of the way in.  The last 50 pages slowed and lost much of the excitement and potential seen in the first pages.  The book ends with some lingering questions, but the questions seem to come out of nowhere and feel fairly forced. 
Morais' writing style is authentic, and I caught myself considering this book a memoir rather than fiction on multiple occasions.  He brings the key characters to life through his descriptions of their lives, looks, and interactions with others, but there were several characters who remain lifeless in spite of their important role in the book. 
Even with those complaints, I did enjoy reading The Hundred-Foot Journey and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a good fiction.  The historical, cultural, and culinary development of each stage of Hassan's journey are in themselves contextual treasures many readers will enjoy.