Thanks to the wonders of the internet I have found the quilter in Switzerland, and the other quilter in Australia who had orders pending where I needed more info and couldn’t reach them!
I even had other readers emailing me saying they could look them up in their local phone books and ring them up for me if I wanted! One quilter tried, but the phone was disconnected.
I was really worried until she must have read my blog post with her name on it. All is sorted now……those orders are on their way! Thank you to those who passed the word on! They contacted me!
I woke up this morning feeling really motivated to get to some sewing today.
Pick a UFO – the closest one to completion!
It’s my Nearly Insane! The blocks are done ---- the rows are mostly done, I just have to finish the rows, assemble the center and get started on the border.
I got an email the other day asking which fabric I am using for the sashing:
It’s a thimbleberries from long ago. The question went something like this:
”But aren’t you using reproductions?”
I started this quilt about 10 years go…and chose my sashing fabric at the same time because I wanted to sash it as I went. Nothing is worse to me than a quilt that stays in blocks with no progress to be seen for years and years, so I wanted to build my center as I went.
That said…my reply to the quilter was:
“I asked myself if Salinda Rupp would have used this if it had been in HER stash. I think the answer would have been yes! It looks very close to what the she used as far as I can see from the close up photos I’ve seen of the original quilt. I’m happy with it!”
I’ve thought about this a lot ---when Salinda was making her quilt in 1870 or so – she was working with what she had in HER scrap bag. She didn’t choose designer fabrics, or charm packs or a whole line by moda. She used the remnants from what was left from previous quilts, and household sewing projects. Maybe she acquired fabrics from other quilting friends and neighbors. But these are not “quilt shop quality” fabrics in her quilt either. Just every day ordinary scraps, and therein lies the beauty and the wonder for me.
This is a picture of a page of the original quilt as found in “The Ultimate Quilting Book” by Maggi McCormick Gordon. The actual sashing fabric is a “foulard” type print circa 1870, maybe a bit earlier if she’d had it in her stash for a long time. I just wanted something with the same flavor ---and when I chose my fabrics, the thimbleberries above that was in my stash seemed to do the trick…and most importantly, I had enough of it!
I still like it!
I hope to make a lot of headway today getting this top completed top center stage…and then on to the pieced border!
What’s up for your day?
33 comments:
Unpacking boxes from our move to Michigan so that I can even GET into my sewing room. I am going through "withdrawal" (seriously) at not being able to stitch at least a little on a daily basis. Soon, very, very soon .....
Post vacation clean up, unpacking, grocery shopping, and continuing to baby proof the house as my 8-month old is now mobile. I don't see any sewing on the radar today.
the quilt looks really great- I have the book for this quilt but have never started on it - I guess after making two dear jane quilts one after another I was done with tiny little pieces for awhile, I still hope to one day get the Nearly Insane quilt made.
Karen
Helping my visiting granddaughter (10 y/o) finish her wall hanging to match her newly painted room. I think we have a budding quilter here as this is not her first quilt.
I love the way your sashing fabric ties it all together. There are a lot of 'fabric snobs' in blog land. I am appreciative of all the fabric designers because I LOVE fabric and I'm glad bloggers mention the names, but usually it's because only one or two of the fabrics in a line interest me. I pride myself on being able to pull together stash colors that look good together.
Looking forward to making the trip to Bali with you from right here in my arm chair in the mountains of Arkansas. I do wish you well and safety and a/c for your night sleeping.
You came amazingly close with your sashing and cornerstone fabrics. It looks great. I am doing the same with my Farmers Wife Quilt.
Packed the kids off to their first day of school today and think I will treat myself to some sewing time! Thanks to your inspiration I think I will pull out the Farmer's wife blocks that keep calling my name!
Your sashing is perfect! Love your fabric choices!
I've bought the Nearly Insane book with the idea of trying to complete a block a week, just using scraps. I think you're right to sash as you go - at least into strips or you wouldn't see much progress. My Quilting studio is now finished so no more excuses. But I MUST finish some UFO's first - I'm getting there.
I do love the designer fabrics, but I rarely buy them. The exception is very special occasion gift quilts. Since I make donation quilts almost exclusively, my stash comes from thrift shops and fabric donations from friends. I'm quite proud of using "recycled" fabric and scraps that others thought useless. I also break the "rule" of not using sheets for backing. Often washed and good condition sheets are not at all hard to quilt through, even when I hand quilt. And rather than buying an average of 5 1/2 yards of new fabric, I spend an average of $3 for the whole back. Because I need to make many quilts quickly I don't really usually have time to piece a back.
Sorry for writing a whole chapter. I get a little carried away.
Every quilter should be able to make quilts out of whatever fabric she/he likes and not worry about the quilt police! Can't wait to see it finished!
Tagging 'stuff' for a sale of my MN Stash that's this Friday! Selling our cabin and I just can't ship it all south. :>( Then I've got to put the finishing quilting on a baby quilt AND THEN...pack my sewing stuff up for the move. No more sewing for me for awhile.
i love your nearly insane top! gives me the bug to go sew!
Dear Jan continues...105 blocks in!!whooo hooo!!
I like your fabric choice for sashing. It gives the quilt interest without competing with the blocks.
I'm working on a series of quilts for Project Linus. They all started from a bag of donated fabrics in shades of rusty rose, green and brown. I added fabrics from my stash to the mix and it seems the scraps are multiplying!
Oh I do wish I was home sewing but I am on the road with DH and
finished all my hand projects! Sewing withdrawal!!
This is going to be so lovely, how many blocks did you make and what size will this masterpiece be when done?
Happy Sewing
Hi Bonnie! This morning and afternoon I'll be re-finishing an old dresser to put in my DD's room. She's excited and so am I! :) Then, after dinner I'll be working on a string quilt for my DS's bed. That string basket doesn't even look like I've touched it and I'm almost done with the blocks!! Happy sewing!
I love your choice of sashing! I've been wondering if you had already finished this top, so happy to see it nearly together. Love watching your progress. I'm doing yard work today, then finishing up a jacket and sewing binding on RRCB.
Your sashing looks great. I'm so impressed with your "nearly insane" quilt. Good luck on pulling the center together.
When I get to be home today I will be quilting a fundraiser quilt--my first full-size on my HQ Sweet 16. New experience. : )
I love the sashing with the cornerstones! Its going to be beautiful!
well i'm off to bed, but when i get up i will search through the scrap basket for fabric for my next Nearly Insane block. I am using some fat quarters, but if there is something in the scraps that will work, it gets used first. My sashing and border fabric's finally arrived and fingers crossed they will work. Also got some catching up to do on a couple of BOM's
My plans for today is to mark off items on my to-do-list. Love the quilt. It is aptly named.
I finally finished my big log cabin quilt that I had brought to your class in North East, Pa. I am entering it in the county fair next friday! I don't know what the quilt police will say about it, but I'll let you know!
I like the sashing too! How great that you are already so far along in getting your rows together. Is this a quilt that will go in the hand quilting pile?
My friend challenged me to do the Farmer's Wife quilt with her. I am using brights, so it will look "nearly insane"! The only problem is that when she printed her 106 templates, she must have had the "fit to page" box checked, because her templates are slightly small and don't fit together quite right. The book says the blocks are 6". Doesn't that mean 6" finished? She has been sewing and quilting before you (Bonnie) and I were even born! She is quilting literate, but not as computer literate. Do I tell her, or just admire her blocks? When I teach quilting classes I can gently correct students, but she's not my student!
I'm inspired to get to my sewing room instead of my computer!!
Quilters on the internet are a powerful resouce lol. SO good to know the ladies have been found, and the books mailed out.
What a fantastic quilt - Nearly insane is a very good name for this one. MERCY!!!! This is a beauty! will be be in one of your books? Hope so.
My day is getting on with my Bonnie inspired string pieced, plus leaders and enders too, Basket quilt top. Moving along, just needed a short break. The NAME? "Such Bonnie Baskets" lol LOVE IT!
Smilies
JulieinTN
I am so glad that Thimbleberries can fill in the gaps where our stashes of Repros don't. Have fun sewing your NI together. I'm recovering from being a grandma for the past 3 days. Just me and my Bow ties...
YAY YOU!!!! It's so great seeing YOU pull out a UFO to work on now that your basement is tidy and in order.
I finished quilting up a recent QOV mystery quilt (NOTHING like your mysteries!!!), and now I hope to keep my quilting marathon going with OrcaBay quilting...or other flimsies laying around.
Bonnie I love the sashing fabric. It adds interest without distracting from the blocks. There is a 'fabric line' snob in my quilting bee and she visibly cringes when she sees my scap quilts. This morning I was working on a top made out of thrift store shirts and I thought she would hyperventilate. To each their own!
Thank you for posting your "before and after" - I think you will inspire me once again and THAT will be my task for this evening after work.
I also wanted to say THANK YOU for an older post about your travel setup. I just got my FIRST FEATHERWEIGHT, without a case. I searched for your post about the rolling suitcase and I found one that is perfect! It is "American Tourist" (I think) and they call it a "rolling tote" - fits the machine beautifully and I think there is space for a small-size Sew Steady table inside behind the machine...
THANK YOU for all you do and for all you share with all of us.
-Maria in Tucson
Oh you found Lorraine!!! I was quite worried that something had happened to her!
Your quilt looks fabulous!
I just love this quilt! It makes me want to get more yellow in my scrappy quilts.
Still working on moving my sewing room across the hall. The " best" thing about it is discovering " new" fabrics, "new" projects, and introduce myself to my collections. Can't wait to start sewing. Looking forward to the mystery quilt.
I too, love the sashing. I think, the more you quilt the less afraid of the "quilt police" you become. I chose a background for my Dear Jane that is not a repo fabric. I searched for the look I wanted even though I love repo fabric.
My sentiments entirely, I could have written the exact same post.
Stay with your ways of quilting.
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