Friday, August 20, 2021

A double dose of positivity

 Hi everyone! Can you feel the summer winding down? I can, and I want to hang on to it with both hands so it won't go away. Unfortunately, it's so humid that it's far too slippery to hang on to, plus I have a hard time breathing the soup that is our air right now. True fact: it has been so rainy and soupy that this week there was a full-grown frog on our deck. Or maybe it was a toad. I'm no scientist, but it was weird. He just hung out there, then literally hopped away, over the side of the deck, which is elevated. Perhaps he needed a break from the rigors of being a frog and just decided to hang out away from the fam for a little bit?

I have not been hanging out this week, on the deck or otherwise. We've started having meetings again (have we learned nothing?) and gearing up for the year, but I did sneak in a few minutes to finish up these cuties:
 

These are the two Positivity quilts I've made for Preeti's Positivity Quilt Along. Okay, I know it's really only one and a half because the one on the right is not quilted yet, but I can totally explain! And I really think I should get some points for finishing at least one of the quilts on time, which is something that normally is pretty rare around here. I get bored pretty easily, and life often interrupts, and UFOs abound.

 
Let's talk about the quilt top first! I actually really like this one, though it went through several changes before it got to this stage. My first idea didn't work, so I changed my mind, eliminated the alternate blocks I had planned, and added sashing and cornerstones. I wanted something that would be gender-neutral and for someone who liked the outdoors, and I think it works. And I like the secondary pattern with the flipped corners and the cornerstones. If you're looking carefully, you can see that I ran out of the main batik, but I had something else and I think it works just fine.

 
The picture up top doesn't give a good view of the fabrics, which have been in the stash for a long time. The blocks are mostly batiks, and the prints are a very old collection called Woodroses in Winter by Holly Taylor. And here's why it isn't quilted yet: I was planning to quilt it on my machine, but then I took that lesson on the longarm, and I completely changed my mind about using my machine. Why wrestle with a quilt this size if I could longarm it instead? So that's the plan for this top. It will get to Bernie a bit later, but I'm pretty sure they'll still be able to use it. The top doesn't have a name but I've been thinking of it as the very imaginative "neutral" quilt, and I'm looking forward to quilting it.
 

Turning to the blue quilt, this is the finished Whisper quilt, and I like how it turned out. Once a top is quilted, it really changes, doesn't it? I am so much more pleased with this than I was with the top. Now it looks cozy and comfortable, not bland.

 
I used a walking foot to quilt diagonal lines across the quilt, and I backed it with a soft blue. I'm happy to say that there are no tucks in the backing, and the quilt washed up really well and is now on its way to Bernie. I was worried that the binding was too dark a blue, but now I think it makes a nice frame. 

So that's my contribution to the Positivity Quilt Along! I'm happy to donate both of these to Mercyful Quilts, and I hope they bring some families some comfort in a hard time. We've been in that situation a few times, and quilty hug definitely helps.


Hope you all are having good luck finishing up your quilts! Have a lovely weekend, and I sincerely hope there are no frogs staring at you through your sliding glass doors, plotting how to get inside away from the heat!

Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Brag About Your Beauties, Finished or Not Friday, and Preeti's Positivity linkup.

18 comments:

ButterZ said...

Lovely quilts to share.

The Joyful Quilter said...

Two excellent contributions to the QAL, Mari!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Those are both beautiful, Mari! I'm always amazed at how much quilting and binding change the look of a quilt top - it makes such a difference. These will definitely bring comfort to someone in need of it!

piecefulwendy said...

Really nice quilts, Mari! I like both of them, but the quilt top with the reds and that background fabric and the little corner squares really came out nicely. I'm sure they will be a comfort to the families who receive them. I think the frog/toad (Frod-o?) just wanted to hang with you!

Sara said...

Both are lovely, but the one with the red really shines. I'm sure they will both be loved by who ever receives them. It has been so humid here again too but yet we are in the midst of a terrible drought. I don't understand how we can have high humidity and drought at the same time. We got a drizzle over night, but not enough to help in any way.

Preeti said...

Both are beautiful. I love the dark blue binding. It brightens the soft colors and Whisper is a vey apt name. Now about the red/green one, we can (I can) quilt it over the weekend. Bind it on Monday and join the linky party on Tuesday, 8/24. I am sure Bernie will keep it open for at least 3 days. And then if the quilt makes it to her by Saturday, 9/4 (which it can) you have two entries. It is totally doable. If it is mailed on Wed, 8/25 it will get there by 9/1 even without priority.

MissPat said...

Both your quilts are wonderful. It's always helpful to send a gender neutral design as they seem to be in short supply. It's funny, but I've come across 3 baby toads in the yard and garden in the last week or so. They were so tiny, they would be easy to step on, but fortunately I saw all the them in time. Enjoy your last few weeks (days?) of freedom.
Pat

Quiltdivajulie said...

Very nice - I especially like the one that is still a quilt top (the colors, the dynamic of the design, and the entire vibe). Love the photos with quilts and trees.

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

I love your Positivity quilts, the sashings made beautiful blocks!

Sharon Kwilter said...

Both quilts are lovely. Congratulations on the finishes.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

They are both beautiful!! the different colorways and settings really make them look lie two completely different quilts! nice!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Mari! I am overwhelmed with all the Positivity abounding in this post. What two fabulous finishes. Good thing I'm not forced to pick a favorite because I'm like a willow in the wind. First, I really like the outdoorsy version - the sashing and the flipped corners look fab. But then I see Whisper, and I adore those colors together. It is calming - and it will whisper to its new owner with loads of comforting and soothing thoughts that have been sewn and quilted into it. Lovely! Sorry about the beginning of the year meetings. They truly are the worst, aren't they? Bloodborne pathogens - do you have to watch those videos?! Ugg. ~smile~ Roseanne

Bernie Kringel said...

They are both beautiful Mari. The blue quilt is soothing and calm, not at all boring. The other quilt is equally pretty. Maybe it could be called Woodrose? It is lovely.

Thank you for participating and for (again) contributing to Mercyful Quilts. You are so kind!

Hope your humidity drops a bit. That gets so uncomfortable!!

QuiltGranma said...

Two very nice donation quilts! We have some kind of dryland toad here. Pulling weeds it was found only because it moved! The color blends so well with the dirt that I really have to enlarge my phone photo to spot it!

grammajudyb said...

Two positivity quilts! Go you!! Both gorgeous, both will be loved!

Bonnie said...

Congrats on two fabulous quilts. I sure understand how easy it is to get sidetracked by something new and supposedly more exciting. I hope you are having fun moving on to UFOs or new projects.

JanineMarie said...

So pretty, Mari, and sure to be appreciated! I like them both for different reasons: the cool calm of the blues (and that photo of the binding zigzagging!), and the great prints of the other quilt. My heart went putty-pat when I saw the paisley. And can I just say, I want your huge quilt-hanger trees in my yard. (How do you attach the quilts to them?) We get toads on our deck, too, and sometimes they also hang out on our slider doors and look in. They are as close as I will get to having a pet and make the most soothing go-to-sleep sounds at night. Enjoy wringing out the last few days of summer. (With all the humidity, you can probably do that literally.)

Carol Andrews said...

Mari both of your Positivity quilts are gorgeous. Sure glad you didn’t ask us to pick a favourite! I’m sure Mercyful Quilts will love having these beauties when ever you can finish the second one. So stressful to know meetings are happening and so many places having conflicting or no guidelines. Here in my region of British Columbia we are experiencing the second highest increase in cases of all of our Provinces and we have the highest number of people with second shots in arms (84% of eligible people). At least we’ve had a bit of rain, helping the wildfire situations. Stay safe and well. 😉