Friday, May 26, 2023

Crossing off two more

 Hi everyone! We got everyone safely graduated this week, I cleaned up my office and shut down the work computer, then I pulled the blinds and locked the door. See that place again in August! It feels great. This was a long year, but every time I think it was a hard one I remember 2020-2021 when we were trying to teach all those students over Zoom. No teaching challenge will ever be as hard as that!

Back at home, I tried to finish up another of the bigger quilts this week, but I didn't get all the way through. Oh, well! I did, however, finish off two smaller pieces that have been kicking around here for a while:


Those don't look very familiar, do they? Well, once again, they are repurposed pieces. In 2017 and again in 2019 I started to make temperature quilts. I did not get all that far, maybe to part of April. Turns out I fail at even stitching a 3-inch seam every day. I also fail at throwing things out, or ripping them apart, which is what I should have done long ago. Instead, they have become a doll quilt and a table runner. Now that they're quilted, they may actually be useful!


Hey look, flowers! The bigger piece is the one from 2019, and is becoming a table runner since it's about 21 by 54. I think the tiny blocks in there are for family birthdays, based on where I think they fell in the calendar. I didn't get pictures of the backs of the pieces, but they are the same blue that was left over from  another backing. More repurposing!


Oh, wow, roses too! The smaller piece is the one from 2017, and it looks like it was a colder year! It looks like I cut this one into two pieces and joined them to make a rectangle. This one is 24 by 27 and will make a lovely doll quilt, or maybe the top of a nightstand. We'll let the small person decide.


The smaller piece was quilted using the ever- trustworthy cross hatch in a pale yellow thread. I bound it in a blue binding from the basket o' leftover bindings and various other things, and it turned out great. It went really fast, too.


I got a little tired of cross hatching, so the bigger piece is quilted in random lines across the width of the piece in a pale green thread. Sometimes they cross, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they're straight, sometimes they wobble. It will look good on a table no matter what. I bound it in another leftover piece of green. So, that's two more pieces out of the closet and another piece half-finished. Not bad for the week! 

This is Memorial Day weekend here in the US, the unofficial start of summer, and I am so ready for it. Bring on the picnics! Hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. And just to wind this up, I'll leave you with a picture of the wild strawberries in our backyard. This is why we don't spray the yard for weeds or anything-- these feed the deer and the foxes!
 
 
Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Brag About Your Beauties, Finished or not Friday, and the Quilting, Patchwork, Applique linkup.

14 comments:

Sara said...

Great finishes! I find it really hard to throw things away too, which is part of the reason my sewing space is always a mess. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and summer!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

Have fun on your summer off! lovely table runner and those strawberries look good I bet I would try to get them before the deer!

Pat at Bell Creek Quilts said...

It's great that you were able to re-purpose these projects! I myself have been making new friends for orphan blocks and setting them into donation quilts! Have a fun summer!

Nann said...

Great rescue! Enjoy the summer break!

Elizabeth V Kelbaugh said...

Fabulous finishes and repurposing. I have a hard time throwing fabric or ufo pieces out and it is wonderful to make something useful with parts. Thanks for sharing.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I think those little finishes were a great way to use up those pieces from your temperature quilt projects! The blues and purples are so pretty together, and I love the pops of other little quilt blocks and a few brighter colors. Happy Summer, Mari!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I have played around with the temperature quilt idea more than a few times but I've always realized before starting that the prescribed formula would never work with my liberated mindset.

I love how you used the sewn-together parts of yours to make two small pieces.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Your fail!!! haha - is amazing!! I love how you re-purposed them.
Too fun to see where pieced have been and what they become!
Happy Summer to you too!!!

Kathleen said...

Hooray for summer! Love your repurposed temp blocks....they are just gorgeous. Great job on the quilting, too!

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Yeah for the Summer break! So lucky, in France it's not going to be until July 7th, and 13th for university. These temperature pieces are lovely, fun little blocks for special events too! They look great as runners.
Yummy wild strawberries!
Thank you for sharing and linking up.

Preeti said...

Yoo Hoo, you successfully and safely completed the school year and nobody died!!! That achievement alone is worth celebrating but then you took all those naughty blocks, errant kids and truant students and corralled them into lovely pieces of art! You are amazing. Enjoy the long weekend; you have earned it!

sue s said...

I made it until April with my one and only attempt at a temperature quilt. Mine was slightly too elaborate and I was forever sewing them wrong. I should pull it out to re-purpose! Thanks for the idea!

The Joyful Quilter said...

There's no shame in abandoning your Temperature quilt in favor of a table runner and a doll quilt, Mari. Both are SEW lovely!!

LA Paylor said...

loved hearing from you Mari... take care of yourself through the house chores and returning heat, love that little heart inserted...
LeeAnna