April Sewing Space

If you've been following my blog for a few months, you might have realized that a "Sewing Space" post is what comes when I have a few projects on the go but no finishes to show for them yet. This one is no different.

I've made some progress on my Map Quilt. In the last post, I had just pieced together my compass. Since then, I've sewn the compass and a blank legend block into the quilt top. Then I decided I didn't like the spacing, so ripped out and moved the compass.  I stencilled on the writing for the legend and hand embroidered one whole letter. I appliqued on the islands and birds, which I keep thinking of as flying geese. Then I added the borders. The inner one is intended to look like a scale on a map. Unfortunately, my pieced border ended up a bit small and then I was tired measuring and sewing on the outer border and it ended up a bit big. So the quilt doesn't want to lay flat for me. Or be square. So I'm debating how much I have to rip out. Probably both borders, plus re-sew the grey and white strips together to make them the right length. I see a seam ripper in my near future.

In this one, without the overhead lights on, you can really see the texture in the quilting on the island.

Not-so-square corners. But pretty Botanics fabric by Carolyn Friedlander.

I also bought the EQ 7 software, to help me with some pattern writing. I've been playing around and have designed the quilt I sketched out on the plane over March Break. Then I started writing out the pattern for it. Eight pages later (without diagrams or images), I seem to have all the steps and instructions figured out. Which has me wondering, am I including too much information and how long are patterns usually, anyway? It also made me realize how much I've learned about quilting along the way and how much work goes into a pattern. This is all before the quilt is even made.

I usually have a plan when I start, but this is the first time I've actually figured out how to do all of the steps efficiently and in order before I start. It might be kind of nice to follow my own instructions. I'm hoping it turns out as planned, though I'm sure there is more tweaking and revising to come.

I'm still planning to start another Jewel Burst quilt soon, but need to write up a pattern first. I thought it might be a bit more complicated to design digitally, so I started with the easier one. Now I'm starting to get comfortable with the EQ7, I'd like to tackle it soon.

So little time, so many ideas. Happy creating!