Fantastic Friends and Frustrating Fabrics!

19Jan
by Janine @ Rainbow Hare
Linking up with Rebecca Lynne for TTT to share my thoughts of the past week.
FIRST – Fantastic friends. One of my favourite things about blogging is all the friends I get to’meet’. It’s so nice to know there are people out there who will give a word of encouragement or a helpful suggestion, most of all who understand why sewing/quilting/being creative in whatever way is fun/relaxing/rewarding/difficult/ essential.
I would especially like to thank  Lucy from Charm About You.
Yesterday Lucy sent me an email asking if my post had come yet, which I though was slightly strange! When I got home I found she had sent me the loveliest needlecase. It’s red and white on the outside – one of my favourite colour combinations and when I opened it and saw what was inside, it really made me smile…
Chinese rabbits, do you think? Or perhaps hares! I’ve never had a needlecase before and I can’t wait to fill up. I just have to search about the house for various notions etc, which shows how much I need one! Now I can be an organised sewist.

 

Thanks Lucy – it’s fabulous :)
NEXT – Frustrating Fabrics. I think got on a roll towards the end of last year with making Christmas presents and during my non-sewing weeks over the holidays I was assuming I’d get straight back into the swing of it as soon as I had time sew again. But I’ve actually ended up spending most of my ‘sewing time’ this week agonising about fabric. I think this is partly because last year I, mostly, started with fabric and then decided what to make with it but this year I seem to be starting with a plan of what to make and trying to find fabric that fits. This would probably be ok if I had endless resources but my number one resolution is not to buy more fabric!
First there was my Pernilla’s Journey saga, which I hope I have resolved – but only by ordering more fabric.  As that has had to be put on hold whilst I wait for it come from the US (and the end of month deadline is approaching!) I thought I’d better start on something for the Color Palette Challenge I had decided on ‘out of the box’ as my theme for January and I thought I’d like to try an art quilt.
This was the original palette…

 

But I got the impression from other people’s choices I was being too literal so I added a few other shades…

I wondered about making a design with a box on it literally but then I decided naively thought it would be easy enough :( to turn an old design (called Gestalt Hare) into a piece of fibre art. Apparently not.
This is the original design….
And this is … I don’t even know what to call it!

I’ve got a new plan (wish me luck!) which involves using these Kona classics charms. The colours are definitely better but possibly too far removed from the original palette?

Finally my yet to be started fmqaygqalfmqml. I had checked out the first post and found Laura said “this is a ‘choose your own adventure’ quiltalong…you can take the idea and do your own variation on the theme”. I had been hoping hoping this would stretch to using the Kona charms but I was worried they might be a bit small to fit the fmq designs. Then, as I was driving home earlier, I suddenly remembered I’ve got all the pin dot prints from a ruby layer cake and half a yard of moda grey, which is enough to get started. The pin dots are virtually solids and there are only 14 but maybe I can join some off cuts to make more squares. So I’m going to try these and fmq with grey thread.

So I think that’s everything sorted for now. Does anyone else feel like they sometimes have to go through a pain barrier before they can going on a new project.

 

10 thoughts on “Fantastic Friends and Frustrating Fabrics!”

  8. Rebecca Lynne

    Katie and Lucy rock!!! I am loving the Kona charms and think they do nicely, not a huge deviation from the original palette. You have a lot going on in that creative mind! I am so glad you shared it on this weeks Think Tank!

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