There's this project that I have been putting off for literally years, and I think this July is the perfect time to pull it out of the basket and do something with it. The project is this mess:
Okay, it doesn't look very messy, but it sure feels messy. This is an abandoned red and white Burgoyne Surrounded quilt that I started in 1998--I think. Maybe it was 1999, but I don't think so. Why was it abandoned, and why haven't I finished it since? Well, there's the story.
I started this as a class at a local quilt shop. It was a small class--I think there were 5 of us. As a mark of how much things have changed in the last 16 years, here are the instructions, typed on a typewriter, with hand-drawn illustrations:
The class was two sessions, but the teacher got sick and the second session was postponed, which was okay. These things happen.
And then the quilt shop CLOSED. For good. I wish I was kidding.
I tried to contact the teacher several times, but I never was able to get a hold of her. That's when this went into the drawer. I probably could have figured out how to finish it, but the instructions seem to require more details that I think the teacher would have provided. I've taken it out a couple of times since, but I've not been serious enough about it, or motivated enough, to finish it. Also, it makes me a little angry and a little sad every time I look at it. It's time to move on, although I doubt it's going to be a Burgoyne Surrounded quilt.
I have the parts all nicely separated and labelled:
And some leftover strips that aren't cut yet:
What I don't have is any yardage left. Not sure what happened to it.
I guess my first step is to assemble some 9 patches and other pieces, and then go from there. I think I'm waiting for the quilt to tell me what it wants to be. I don't think it wants to be Burgoyne Surrounded. We'll see what happens!
The other projects I really want to finish up in July are all the HST projects. I'm really happy to get them out of the closet. This is the one I was trying to decide about this weekend:
I have a pretty good idea about using these HSTs, but it requires adding some fabric. I can't decide which way they look better, with the yellow or the blue. What do you think?
That's what's happening around here! It's a holiday week, so I doubt there will be much time for sewing. My husband is taking a few days off, so who knows what he has planned. Probably not a trip to the quilt shop! Then comes the 4th of July, always a good party. Hope you all enjoy your celebrations!
Linking up with Freemotion by the River and probably also Freshly Pieced.
2 comments:
I love the HST's. I hate to throw a wrench in, but I think they'd look great against that rust color in the flowers.
I also have some UFO projects that have "morphed" into something totally different than what they started out as. You are smart to just put the basics together and then see how it progresses.
Post a Comment