Circumspect - the Quilt

I'm sharing this photo of Circumspect's quilting in process

for those who aren't clear about how Max works.

(Max is my APQS George sit down longarm)

The machine head stays in one place while

I move the quilt sandwich under the needle.

(Max has a 20" throat area)

At the same time, I control Max's speed

using a foot pedal that is slightly larger

than the one for my Bernina.

My chair is normally where the bulk of the quilt

is draped over the front edge of the table,

meaning Max is oriented like a domestic machine.

This is the stack of pieces and parts that Cherie gifted me in 2018.

The two-block and four-block groupings were taken apart

to create the maximum number of individual broken dishes blocks.

Then I used the stacks of unsewn die cut HSTs 

to make enough additional blocks to total ninety.

Combined with 90 alternate squares 

cut from two different but companionable greens,

I came up with this layout inspired by

a quilt in one of the Temcula Quilt Co. books.

After due deliberation I decided to keep things simple.

Liberated orange peels stitched with

Glide thread in Warm Grey 4.

I'm glad I gave up on the fancier ideas -

simple quilting was just what Circumspect needed.

Final size -- 48" wide by 60" long.

After so many design changes,

I'm very happy with the way Circumspect turned out.

One last photo taken outdoors

just for color comparison.

Quiltdivajulie

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“Listening to something is an act of surrender.”

Brian Eno

Quilting Prep Work

My goal is to get BOTH of these quilted yet this month.

Circumspect on the left

inspi(RED) on the right

Circumspect started in 2018 with a stack of gifted

broken dishes blocks plus more shirting pieces and parts.

Thanks, Cherie!

This is the backing for Circumspect.

Purchased on Small Business Saturday 2019

from Bernie' shop - Needle and Foot.

(after I decided not to go with the original plan

for a scrappy backing)

inspi(RED) is my quilt for the early-2019

Ad-Hoc Improv Quilters RED challenge.

And this is the backing fabric for it.

Both backs have been pieced and rolled onto pool noodles.

In fact, after this photo was taken

Circumspect was pin basted and

the top and batting for inspi(RED)

were prepped and rolled onto noodles

to pin baste as soon as Circumspect is quilted.

Threads and quilting designs have been decided upon.

Stay tuned.

Quiltdivajulie

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“Let me listen to me and not to them.”

Gertrude Stein

Introducing Circumspect

In July 2018 Cherie of the Quilted Jonquil

gave me these leftover pieces and parts

from one of her ongoing RSC projects before 

I did a lecture/trunk show for her quilt guild.

They've been sitting in a project box since then - 

waiting for the right idea to come along.

I labeled the project box Circumspect for "well-considered"

Little did I know that was a prophetic choice.

It definitely took a while for that idea to arrive.

In January of 2020 I happened upon this image online 

and instantly thought of those waiting pieces and parts.

(inspiration quilt from the Temecula Quilt Company's

book titled Returing to Temecula / Patchwork Plates design)

I took apart quite a few of the paired broken dishes blocks

and assembled a few more from the remaining parts.

(Cherie spins her seams so lots of seam-ends 

had to be re-stitched once the pairs were taken apart)

The shirting blocks were then paired with squares cut 

from two companionable long-stashed greens 

to create blocks that measured 4.5" x 8.5"

Here they are randomly pinned on the design wall

ready to be clipped and webbed into a quilt top.

I don't think I'll fuss with rearranging anything -

I like the scrappiness just the way it is.

Ta- Da!  

A quilt top all sewn together and pressed. 

But now I'm thinking that it needs borders . . . 

After a bit of rummaging one evening

I pulled this grayish-brown from the stash

to use for borders and binding.

The fabrics to the left are for a scrappy back.

I cut strips for the borders and sewed them in place.

NO NO NO -- NOT good.

So I used my new razor ripper

(shared by Mrs. Goodneedle here)

and had all four long strips removed

in less time that it would have taken

to use my regular seam ripper

 on one short side.

Impressed I am.

With the top settled, 

I started on the scrappy back

only to find that the plan there

wasn't working so well either.

Back to the stash . . . again.

In one of the resource boxes

I found several lengths of

Carrie Bloomston's Story newsprint

left after previous projects.

With only a few seams to be stitched

Circumspect will soon have a much better backing.

(yes - there are two slightly different shades

in the backing strips - why?

Some are from 42" wide yardage and others

are from 108" wide back yardage)

Quiltdivajulie

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“People are hungry for stories.  It’s part of our very being.  Storytelling is a form of history, of immortality too.  It goes from one generation to another.”
Studs Terkel