WIP Wednesday with Words

Yeah finally!
I need to get on the quilt for Project Improv. I have been thinking about it all week.
I decided to quilt the squares and not the sashing. Jacquie told me she liked the "swirly quilting" in my spare change quilt.

I didn't think that was the way I wanted to go. The sashing and border are dark brown and I would have to switch threads and then it could show on the light back, so I needed to be careful.
I decided to not quilt the border and sashing , just the light blocks, using the swirly pattern Jacquie likes.
I finally got it on the quilter.

I'm on my last row of blocks. I have made my binding. I'm almost done!
On a lighter note:
Today is Tax Day in America. Some folks who are upset with how things are going and who won the election are out today publicly teabagging. It's too dang funny for words. When I see photos of some guy holding a sign that says "tea bag obama" - I start the giggling!
The other thing I LOVE about the photos of these protests; It's like a "Where's Waldo". The folks ALL white! I like to try and find the "person of color". It's fun.
So here is me "teabagging" on Tax Day.
If you don't know why I think this is funny, or why your kids and grandkids love to use "tea bag" as a verb.... see this link and stop writing anti-semtic comments that I have to delete and even you are so ashamed of , you can't sign your name. Happy Teabagging!


Quilters Rock!

WIP WEDNESDAY /wordless wednesday

Hey Buddy! Is That Kleenex In Your Pocket or are you Just Happy to See Me?

I have allergies. Seems like every tree in Metro Portland is blooming. I take meds and use my Neti pot and get much relief but... for a couple days, at least, every year the pollen is so bad I just want to hide in my highly filtered, home bubble. My husband has super bad allergies as well, so when we got the A/C, he also got an electronic air filter and some kind of germ killing light bulb thingy... this is me shrugging and walking away because DH has it covered. what ever. It really works. Yesterday we set up Mom's new tree and her patio display of flowers. It was lovely and sunny, and we're all now suffering from too much outdoor time today. itchy eyes.
Project Improv:
Err.. so, yes I have a top I am going to quilt. But I had also promised that I would make some wonky log cabins, which I never did. Today, I got one of those dreaded "hey bum where's your blocks?" emails along with 20 other losers... okay I'm projecting, but I did get an email.
I can admit when I suck!
Okay so here's what happened... I tried to make them, they sucked, I spent like days on them on and off ... lame. Then I sent postage, this was an impromtu action on my part to assuage my guilt. No star magically appeared by my name. damn.
Then today I mentioned something to my husband as he was leaving to go off to work and he got that weird slightly disappointed look on his face like " you signed up to do something and now your gonna blow them off. not cool." ouch.

I made 4 blocks ... in 7 hours! I am not a wonky log cabin maker. Just not.
Ta da...

I went to Art School dang it! I'm trained. I should be able to do this. Anyway, it's over, in an envelope and ready to go to post. Wiping brow. wheew!

Lilac buds. interesting.
I'm gonna think about which books I can be rid of so I can go buy some quilting books. Must have Simple Comtemporary Quilts. Thanks to chickenfoot.
Quilters Rock!

No, I don't think so...

Here is a pic of Abandoned First Attempt ... I liked it but I thought it was way too Red, White, and Blue. It was difficult to sew around in a circle with all that bulk . Still, .... I love how they are not completly "round" and kinda have that Angela Adams feel.
That red is WOF and about 20 inches long. The rings are about 8 inches in diameter.
I have a improved construction technique for the rings so that was another reason I abandoned it.
This is going into the "to quilt" pile. It may need one more ring.
I have figured out what fabric I am using for 1, 2, 3, but 4 is giving me problems. I will share them as I make them ...
Quilters Rock!

Marching Forward!

Well, the new craft table moves forward at a snails pace. My room is a disaster. Nor am I getting a lot done... Train Wreck!
I watched a lot of TV yesterday . I taped the Cspan coverage and sped thru it to the good parts . Thanks TiVo. It was great!
Sam Adams has pissed me off. Politicians, mo or not, need to keep it zipped around teenagers.
ProJect Improv:
I have finally decided what I am doing. *choir sings "hallelujah" in the backgound*
Okay, so the .pdf said "This piece has no restrictions except that it is to be improvised, not
made from a pattern" that part is easy for me as I rarely use patterns. I like to do re-inventions of old patterns. I thought at first I would do a Improv of my Kite top I just finished but knew that it was too soon and kind of a cop out.
then I decided to think on it a while. ....
I asked myself "what is it I don't do?"
I don't generally work with solids. ( I have been lately, but I have been pushing myself)
I don't work with too many colors at once. Usually, when I am working with solids, I do a blue/green or a pink /orange color way. If there are a lot of colors, it's a fabric line bundle I am using.
And I never work on heirlooms or "big idea" quilts. Obviously, it's because I am a lazy cur.
I like to make easy quilts with a simple idea behind them and no complicated work required to get it together.

So,... what I am doing is what I don't usually do! I am going to use a solid, I knew this and just went to Fabric Depot and bought a beautiful brown a couple weeks ago.
I am going to use lots of different fabric mostly from my stash.
*Drum Roll*
I am making a "Big Idea" quilt! I want it to be modern and interesting. I have known about this quilt called Ringtoss by FunQuilts for some time. And I love Angela Adams Rugs this one in particular.
I decided to do a Presidential Quilt of 44 rings. I am going to make each individual ring a reflection of that president. It's a traditional idea but hopefully I will have a fresh interpetation.
I just did a bunch of experiments to see if I can do this. I figured out how to do them using machine applique, but not raw edge. I am not going to set them in, the way it's done over at FunQuilts.
Here is a ring:

It's one of my tests. Its not sewn down yet.
I am thinking of doing George Washington in this cherry:

I know he didn't chop down a cherry tree but still.
I still haven't figured out exactly how I'm gonna handle "death in office" or mutiple terms. I had thought I would try to do a fabric a year or a term but I don't think so. We'll see.
I guess that's where the Improv comes in.
What I am going to do is google "first POTUS" read about him, then make a ring, attach it to block of background, then google "2nd POTUS" and repeat steps . I think there is some Improv built into that process.
Have I told you lately that "Quilters Rock!"?