Friday, May 5, 2017

Quick little finish

Hi everyone!  How was your week?  This was the last week of class--yay!  And not all my classes have finals, so we're just about at the end.  Then I plan to sleep for at least a week.

You know how sometimes you just *need* to finish something?  You don't want to make progress on something, you want to actually finish something?  That's how I felt this week, so I pulled a small quilt that needed to be quilted out of the closet and stuck it under the needle.  Here's how it turned out:


It's about 38 by 38, which makes it a small baby size, but I think it would look great on a spring table, don't you? It was a really cloudy day and I couldn't get the best picture of the colors, but the sashing and binding are both a lovely aqua color. 


I made this little top a couple of years ago from the blocks I made for a failed project.  The quilt shop that I used to live near (and I still love!) ran a year-long project making the Loyal Union Sampler by Jennifer Chiaverini.  These blocks were as far as I got.  They were lovely, but the project as a whole just never really excited me.


So when I needed a finish this week, this little top was just hanging there, waiting.  This is as good an argument as any I've ever heard for keeping some UFOs handy, too.  I quilted it in a free hand cross hatch, by which I mean that I didn't use a walking foot, just the free motion foot for the machine.  The rows are pretty straight but got wobbly in a couple of places.  Oh, well!  The overall effect is pretty nice, and doing the quilting itself was pretty soothing, almost like meditation. 

So that was my finish for the week!  It felt pretty good to sew, and it felt great to finish this.  And I'm feeling a lot more relaxed now, too. Don't know what I'm going to do with this little quilt, but I'm putting it in the win column! 


Last week I heard from a lot of azalea lovers!  I promise that we are keeping at least a couple of them.  Here's another lovely shrub growing in our garden:


I don't know what this is, but it's pretty!   It has also been chopped up, but it looks like it's coming back pretty well already.  And who can resist those lovely flowers?  You should see the size of the honey bees hanging out around those flowers!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  It's going to rain like crazy all weekend, so I expect to make a lot of progress on a lot of things.  I'll probably just end up taking a nap or baking something, though.  I'll let you know!


Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Finished or Not Friday, and crazymomquilts.

20 comments:

ES said...

That last photo is a beauty! So is the quilt:)

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Yes, it would look lovely on a spring table! Great finish! Love the flowers too.

Windy Hill Happenings said...

This is a lovely, happy piece!

Tish Stemple said...

Sometimes, you just need a quick finish and this little project looks like it was perfect for that. This one would look great on a table, back of a chair or even hanging on a wall. Congrats on your finish, enjoy that well deserved nap :)

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Perfect!! alovely finish!!! and very springy!!

Kate @ Smiles From Kate said...

Who says small isn't beautiful? The photo on the tree is gorgeous, congrats on another lovely finish.

Gina said...

Lovely quilt. Can you please send some rain our way. We haven't had anything significant for weeks and my poor garden is desperate xx

suzanprincess said...

Your pretty white-flowered plant looks like an azalea to me, or perhaps a gardenia--are the flowers fragrant?

LA Paylor said...

Hi Mari, I'm here to see the organization post but this is so pretty! Good job!

Jo said...

Love the colours of this quilt. Are the blocks 6". The quilting is fine. Anyone who receives it won't mind a little wonkiness.

Louise said...

This is a very pretty, sweet little quilt! Soft and fresh for spring :) I'm glad you were able to finish and have that feeling of satisfaction. You're right, that's a great reason to have a WIP or two just hanging around...

Lorna McMahon said...

Congratulations on the finish, Mari! I love sampler quilts and this one is simply a darling!

MissPat said...

Pretty little quilt. I think your white flower is a gardenia. You should keep it. They are very fragrant.
Pat

Lissa said...

That is a beautiful quilt! I love those fabrics! Do you have any pieces leftover you might be willing to sell/trade for? I'm making a scrappy double wedding ring quilt with that fabric line and I would love a few more prints :) Good luck with the gardening :) ~Lissa

Lolsews said...

Your shrub looks like a gardenia. If the blooms are extremely fragrant, it's a gardenia. I'm not sure why I keep commenting on your landscaping when your quilts are what drew me to your blog!

JanineMarie said...

Ah, such a fun, pretty way to wind down after a busy school year. And I have to ask, what is that tree with the double trunk? It's perfect for a quilt display. It must be so fun for you to discover all the new-to-you parts of your landscape.

KaHolly said...

So very softly feminine and sweet! Great finish!

Mari said...

Can you please email me? I have no way of contacting you!

Kate said...

Congrats on a very pretty finish! A great save of a failed project.

Preeti said...

It may be little but it certainly wasn't quick. Those blocks took work. Come to think of it is huge in its appeal and loveliness :-)