Kaleidoscope Quilt Finish

Norm was right about the binding; it totally works.

I am happy to report that the kaleidoscope quilt is done.  I gave up waiting for the sun to come out from under the clouds and went ahead with taking photos of it on the deck this morning.  I freezed my freezing fingers off doing it, but that's what big mugs of tea are for, thawing frozen, freezed-off, freezing fingers.

Silly f-words aside, here it is.  Although it's not the '70s rock inspired piece I intended it to be, I do love the finished quilt!

There will be a version 2.0 kaleidoscope quilt that hopefully will achieve the vibe I had planned for this quilt.  In the meantime, I'm reserving the secret name for the second iteration.  (It's based on a song with lyrics weird and iconic enough to inspire, and a glammy, now deceased, front man.  That's all the hints I'm giving on that.)

Norm calls this "the candy quilt."  That's not the alternate name I had in mind, but I can see his point of view.  (There's a part of me that wants to do up the CC label in rainbow-colored embroidery thread with daisies for the asterisks.  Actually, I think a little hand work practice might be nice...)

More photos of the back:

The finale of foldedness:

Thanks to Elizabeth D. of Don't Call Me Betsy for the kaleidoscope quilt-along that provided the motivation and method for making this quilt come together!  See the Flickr group pool for more eye candy and inspiration.

He Won the Toss

It seems like forever since I've posted, but there hasn't been much of anything sewing related to talk about.  I started the week with some kind of horrendous flu bug, which thankfully passed in a day or two.  Then when work wasn't being busy, I was sidetracking myself on other bunny trails, with a bit of dithering and procrastinating in between.

Thank you all for chiming in on the binding for the kaleidoscope quilt.  I appreciate your taking the time to visualize and comment.  Fairly early in the week, I had pretty much decided to cut the yellow binding and intended to go and do that as soon as I pressed "Send" on an email and got up from the computer.  But the getting up part didn't happen (see "sidetracked," above).

Someone needs to invent the computer chair ejector seat, and a portable model for laptop or iPad users (the iEjector?).  Preferably with a 3-2-1 countdown sequence, warning vibrations, and rocket exploding noises.
(Or maybe someone already has, but that model comes delivered in a plain brown wrapper...but this is a family friendly site so we won't go any further with that!)

Another day dawned, and I made an impromptu run to JoAnn's to explore other possible binding options, and came home with three (!).  I really favored one, but when I asked my husband his opinion later that evening, he favored a different one of the three.

So there they sat the rest of the week, the hunks of fabric on the floor on top of my quilt, while I sat working and dithering and dithering and working and procrastinating.
  
Tonight I announced, "We have to make a very important decision," as I pulled a quarter out of my purse.  I tossed, Norm called.  He won.
"Aw, two out of three?" since I am a good loser like that.  

"Sure."  He won again on the second toss.

"You'll love it.  I can see it in my mind already, and it's going to look great," he reassured.  He's probably right.

I've got a busy weekend ahead, what with Twilight: Breaking Dawn to be seen in the theater, pretty people to be drooled over, special contacts to be worn, lines to be stood in, medium-rare steak to be eaten afterward, a binding to be sewn, and more work-work to be done.  Sunday Sundry will be MIA this weekend, but look for the bound and completed kaleidoscope quilt reveal early next week.
 
There are also plans in the works for the next project.  

I'll be using these two groups of FQs from separate giveaway winnings, but I think they'll work well together in this quilt.  That's Central Park by Kate Spain for Moda on the right and a variety on the left, including a Sharon Holland design and Amy Butler, I believe.

There is a whole story about how I finally decided upon the two main frame colors (Ash and Mink from Connecting Threads, shown underneath the stacks), and guess what?  It involves a generous amount of dithering and procrastination, along with plenty of sidetracking.  I'll show you the stack of rejects another time, but today let's focus on the positive.

Have a great weekend!  Ciao for now!

Sunday Sundry - Vol. 48

I finished quilting the kaleidoscope quilt yesterday (woo-hoo!).  It went pretty well, despite the size.  The center was a little tricky to maneuver in, and that is where I started.  I did a few meanders and—I'm not going to lie—for a brief moment I considered stopping, ripping out my stitches, and calling my local longarm quilter.  But no, I had it basted and we had come this far together, just persevere (so went the self pep talk).  Keep going, keep going, keep going.  And I did.  And it's done.  And I'm glad!  

I am sort of embarrassed to admit I wanted to wimp out, but there it is.  I didn't.  I took courage from friends who told me they or someone they knew had quilted a king size quilt on a regular machine, and this wasn't even that big.  Perhaps it will be an encouragement to someone in a similar situation who doesn't know if they have it in them (you do).

Okay, so here is the latest dilemma.  What kind of binding should I do?  I mean, the backing is a soft custard yellow with multicolored strips from some of the fabrics on the front.  I quilted it in matching yellow thread, which blended well overall.  I was thinking a yellow binding, as I have enough yardage in the custard yellow.  I also have enough of a light pink print (see bottom left block of first picture above).  Otherwise, I'd have to buy fabric (which I'm okay with, if that's what works best), or do a scrappy binding.  But I think there is enough color going on in the quilt that something solid along the edge would be more restful.  Any thoughts?

It's Genetic
My cousin Peggy in Louisiana discovered my blog and was inspired to start her own Pyrex collection.  I am so happy for her!  She recently bought a little hutch at an antique shop for her Pyrex display and sent me a photo.  Isn't it the cutest?

Back in October, I bought a pretty casserole dish and stand, but as it turned out, I already had it.  In fact, there's a picture of it up there in my blog header.  Doh!

This, friends, is when you know your collection might be getting out of hand (and/or your memory faltering).  At any rate, I figured there might be just the right spot for it—on Peggy's shelves.  So I packed it up, along with one of my minis that seemed meant to be together with it, and sent it to my cousin.  She loved it!  I'm so glad!

At the risk of embarrassing both of us further, here is a favorite photo of my cousins, Peggy (on the left), Patsy, and David, along with my sister and I in the pink dresses (I'm on the right).  This photo is from the era that particular Pyrex casserole would have been in circulation.  

Who'da thunk we'd reconnect all these years later swapping Pyrex stories?

Holiday Shopping
I started my Christmas shopping on Friday night.  I even bought myself a little something for the tree, he-he.

How about you, have you started your Christmas list yet?

Making it Work

I moved things in the kitchen as much out of the way as possible so I could baste the quilt on the floor today. 

When I was a kid, my dad would shampoo the living room carpeting every once in awhile, and somehow all our furniture managed to get squeezed into the tiny dining room for a day or two while things dried.  One year the Olympics were on TV during that time, and I remember watching them perched on top of something that was perched on top of something else.  This reminded me of that, but nowhere near as tight a squeeze.

This made just enough room for the quilt.  I am standing in the doorway to take this picture.  It's a small kitchen.  The quilt is a full size, not even a queen.

But mission accomplished with the basting.  Yay!

Norm brought the mail in from the box at noon.  "Your contacts are here.  Try them on!"

He was more excited than I was, but when I put them in, he was less impressed.  I think he was hoping they'd be creepier.  Me too, actually.  Maybe I should have gotten the red ones.

Anyway, they're fairly comfortable and I can see well, so that's good.

This is my normal eye color, dark blue.  Or somewhat hungry "vegetarian" vamp?  Nah, not dark enough.

And here is with the contacts.  "I have been hunting."  Pretty subtle.  They do make my irises look larger though.

It's not easy taking photos of your own eyes.  The mirror shots = Fail.  I am starting to get silly here.

Finally I turned the camera around to where I could see the viewfinder in the mirror.  Duh.  That worked.

Sunday Sundry - Vol. 47

The sundry items are jingling around like a pocketful of change today, so let's reach in and see what we come up with.
 
Golden
I found these glasses at Goodwill on Saturday.  Actually, at two Goodwill stores, 30 miles apart.  The three cocktail glasses have seen some wear, but I couldn't just abandon them on the shelf in favor of their spiffier siblings.  It seemed more appropriate to keep the family together.

Besides, I kind of like the patina on them.  It shows they were enjoyed in a former lifetime.  Can't you just imagine the red lipstick stains and matching manicured hands that held those highballs?  Or the crisp white shirts and skinny black ties, and pencil skirts and pumps viewed through the condensation on the cold glass?  Is that Dean Martin on the hi-fi?

All I really know is when the new season of Mad Men finally premiers, you can bet I'll be raising one of these.

I also found this piece of old ironstone.  Talk about patina, this plate has seen the entire last century and then some.

The mark apparently dates it to before 1900, when the "Ld" (for Limited) was added, so sometime between 1869 and 1900. 

Other Things I've Taken a Shine To
We watched Water for Elephants last night, and what a great movie.  Robert Pattinson did a wonderful job, and it was good to see him in this role (definitely smiling way more than a brooding vampire, for one thing).  

And...okay.  The man is just so fine.  There, I said it.  I was going to be all mature and respectable, but I can't help it, I could just stare at that face all day.  Beauty is beauty, and who am I to deny that I appreciate it?

All things ga-ga aside, I think all the actors, including especially Christopher Waltz, Reese Witherspoon, and Hal Holbrook, did an outstanding job in Water for Elephants.  I was really into the entire story from the get-go, not just drooling over the remote.

But speaking of vamps, to say that I am excited to see Breaking Dawn in a couple weeks would be an understatement.  And I will be wearing these, because I am a big dork who actually called my eye doctor, who had to look at that same link to approve my order.  

And I could hear the smirks in their voices on the phone, those white-coated professionals, because, well, just when you think you know your polite and unassuming middle-aged patient, she calls up and asks for vampire contacts, and that right there is likely to make your whole day.

Just wait till they see what Norm wants to get.


Sew...what now?
I finished the backing for the kaleidoscope quilt.  And now I am having a dilemma.  The quilt is too big to baste as I normally would on my kitchen floor, the only hard floor in the house, and it's bigger than any quilt I've quilted on my machine so far.  And why did I not see this coming?  

So there's that to mull over. 

Meanwhile, the weather is getting colder and I'd like to start wearing my cords and other heavier jeans, but they're all too big now, so I need to do some alterations, several pairs worth (*groan*).  But that job is one that has to be moved to the front burner ASAP, like today. 

After that, plans are in the works for quilting the black and white quilt, and I've got another couple quilts in the hopper to cut out.  Details to follow.


New Music
Mutemath has a new album out called Odd Souls, and this is one of the songs that I've been listening to all week.  I would love to see these guys live.  Come to Madison, Mutemath! 



And, just because, this is a cool acoustic version of an older song. 

Go on...break the spell of the Typical!

Soul for the Funk I'm In

Not a whole lot happening in the sewing room this week.  I'm cutting some strips for a pieced backing for the kaleidoscope quilt.

I need to get some more solids to finish the back, and decide on a binding.

I've been in sort of a funk otherwise.  I could blame Twilight withdrawals (not even kidding), the weather, shorter days (time to break out the SAD lamp), PMS, etc. 

Orphan blocks from kaleido quilt leftovers.  

Maybe I'll put them in the backing, maybe not.

Saw this guy, Allen Stone, on Conan last night.  Wow.  Just...wow.  Made it all better.
 

Y'all Ready for This?

I got the kaleidoscope quilt top finished this morning.  Wa-hoo!

It's certainly an explosion of color, but I do like it (though, in all honesty, working on the final blocks over the weekend, I was beginning to fall out of love with it).  

I learned some things in making this quilt for the Kaleidoscope Quilt Along, largely as a result of frustration early on, getting some helpful advice, reworking several  of the blocks (right up until the very last one I fiddled with yesterday), as well as seeing what worked for other fellow QAL-ers.  If you haven't checked out the Flickr group for this quilt-along, you should; there's some serious eye candy over there.  It's amazing how different this quilt looks from one to the next, and beautiful in all its many variations.

I stayed with my original fabric choices instead of finding others that might up the contrast, etc.  But I think I'm going to do another one with the kit of FQs I found in my stash.  Figured I'd work up nine or so blocks to see if it achieves the look I'd like, and then go from there.  I think the second attempt may yield the effect I am looking for (i.e., making the "halos" brighter).  So until then, I will hold off on giving this one a name.

And now I need a nap!  :)

Sunday Sundry - Vol. 37

Where-oh-where does the weekend go?  I hope yours was a good one!

Dad is my CSA
I was the beneficiary of some goodies from Dad's garden today—gorgeous green and purple kohlrabi, green onions, and leaf lettuce.  

Wearing rubber boots for the wet soil, Dad lobbed baseball-sized kohlrabi in my direction, and I trimmed off the muddy root and leaves.  Then he pulled onions, reminiscing about the many thousands he's peeled in the past 70-something years, starting as a child working in his grandfather's gardens.  Back then, after cleaning the onions, he'd hand them to his grandmother who sat on a stump and tied them into small bunches with string.

My great-grandpa Max was a fur trapper and market gardener, also known as a truck farmer.  He raised and sold vegetables and fruits door to door, bringing the farmer's market directly to the customer, instead of the other way around like it is now.  At first it was by horse and wagon, then later by Model A truck, covering nearby towns as well.  When he used real horse power, the story goes that the animal knew the routine so well that when great-grandpa walked from door to door, the horse would follow on its own when beckoned, stopping in front of the next house on the route.

My dad maintained two big gardens at our place when I was growing up, and he still has a large plot, roughly the same size footprint as his current house.  He blesses family and friends with produce in season, and I am very glad of that and happy to help in whatever way I can.

More Good Eats
On Saturday night, I made Greek meatza with this recipe.  Oh, it was good, and the leftovers on Sunday were even better, along with the above-photoed vegetables as a salad (and I still have onion breath some 12 hours later).  

My dairy-avoiding self even enjoyed the bit of feta cheese crumbled on top of the meatza, and lived!

Kaleidoscope Continued
I am still plugging along on making kaleidoscope blocks for the quilt-along.  I think I've got about 15 more to go before I can do the final arranging and sew them together to complete the top.

Here are a couple tools I'm using.  I've double-stick taped the main triangle template to the underside of a ruler I already had.  After watching a couple YouTube videos for a tool designed specifically for kaleidoscope quilts that I was contemplating buying, it dawned on me that just about any right angle ruler would work.  

For this quilt, I cut a strip 6-1/2 inches wide and then lined up the template/ruler along the top and bottom.  Voila, perfect pieces!  For the corner pieces in each of the blocks, I cut a strip 4-3/8 inches wide, sub-cut that into 4-3/8-inch squares, and then cut each square in half diagonally.  Easy-peasy.

This next "tool" is a piece of thin red acetate, which in its former life was a report cover.  I can't remember where I picked up this tip (it was a while ago), but it helps to check the value of fabrics.  

It doesn't seem to work as well as a black and white photo where you can more finely discern gradations of gray (as for mediums, for example), but it does give a general idea as to whether you've got a light enough fabric paired with a dark enough one.  

I've been using it for each block of this kaleidoscope quilt, holding it in front of my eyes while looking at the fabric combinations before I sew the pieces together. Again, not perfect, but very helpful as far as getting the general idea.