Hoppipolla - the Quilt

Started in January 2021, Hoppipolla is now a finished quilt.

(you can read about its long and winding back story in this post or use the Hoppipolla label below my signature to see all previous posts for this Etcetera Series project)

Hoppipolla is an Icelandic verb that means "jumping into puddles" -- or perhaps this quilt and its making are better described with this Dr. Seuss quote:

"If you never did 

You should.  

These things are fun and 

Fun is good."

I will be forever grateful that I waited and listened to this quilt so the borders and backing were changed.  

I never loved the quilt before, but I surely do now.

The backing is one I purchased on Etsy in January 2022 (for a different project, of course), named "number 7" by DE LEON DESIGN GROUP for Alexander Henry - 2015.

I loved it from the moment I saw it and am over the moon that it has found its forever home in this quilt.

Quilted with my liberated free motion all-over spiral fans using Glide thread in Warm Grey 4.

The finished quilt measures 50" x 68"

As Yoda would say, "Happy I Am."

Quiltdivajulie

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"Whatever makes you feel the sun from the inside out chase that."

Gemma Troy

Why I Love Scrappy Quilts

As I was pin basting Hoppipolla, I couldn't help getting lost in its glorious scrappiness.

Cows and reindeer play with stripes and polkadots.

Kaffe Collective, Paula Nadlestern, Tim Holtz, and a couple of pink pigs.

A rocket ship from one of Young Man's pillowcases, bits from fabrics sent by friends, grunge, and more Kaffe Collective.

Fabrics from my teaching quilts, more scraps from friends, fragments of text, and bits of Christmas fabric.

So many scraps from so many different quilts.

I love the pieces of leftover strata in the mix.

Even a tiny pink deer.

* * *

I've finally made up my mind how I want to quilt Hoppipolla and I've chosen the thread.

As soon as Fire and Ice is created and quilted, Hoppipolla is next in line.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness."

Annie Albers

Hoppipolla - the NEW Flimsy

I finished this version of Hoppipolla's flimsy in August 2021 (you can read the long and winding backstory that started way back in 2017 HERE).

I never really loved the yellow even though technically it "worked" with the top and proposed backing, so I put the top into my "waiting to be quilted" closet and moved on.

In November of that year, I unstitched the too-gaudy yellow and cut strips of Brandon Mably's Jumble to use instead.

But for some unknown reason, I didn't sew them on.  I just draped them over the folded flimsy's hanger.

Fast forward to this week.

After shifting the squirrel print backing from Hoppipolla to Reverie (see this post) and moving the backing yardage from Colsie (blocks donated to Linda S. to become a comfort quilt) to Hoppipolla, I sat on the back porch and unstitched the solid blue inner border.

I also removed one column of 19 blocks in order to reposition them as an additional row (an overall shift from 48" x 60" to 45" x 63").

After restitching the ends of the affected seams, I took the reconfigured flimsy (now 49" x 67") into the room with my stash and started "shopping" to see what I had for a border (to protect all those exposed seam ends).

I'm SO pleased with the results and so glad I waited until I finally figured out what this super scrappy quilt wanted!

I chose this print by Carolyn Frielander / Robert Kaufman ("Kept" no. 20135) because I wanted something to echo the light center strips of the 3" blocks but I needed something that didn't fade to nothingness.

I'll use the same fabric for binding.

And as soon as I get the back's center seam sewn and the backing pressed, Hoppipolla will be rolled onto my pool noodles and then pin basted.

It's time to get this beauty quilted!

Quiltdivajulie

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"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things a different way."

Edward de Bono

That Magical Spark

The enhanced fabric pull for Rubricate (another Macnas-like quilt) has been moved to the end of the cutting table.

I hope to work on the cutting a bit each day this week instead of wearing myself out doing it all in one go.

The piecing has begun for Reverie. 

So far, there are 37 different blues.  I'm sorting as I press to make life easier later on when it comes time to work on the layout.

But while I was stitching/pressing, a random thought lodged in my brain.

WHAT IF . . . 

I used the beautiful blue backing I had chosen for Hoppipola (which is still waiting to be quilted) for Reverie?

A quick visual check told me all I needed to know. 

YES!

Which left Hoppipola without a backing.

But WHAT ABOUT the backing I had originally chosen for Colsie?

Another quick visual check left no doubt in my mind - absolutely YES!

And now I'm excited about moving Hoppipola forward after its nearly three year wait.

* * *

About Colsie (see previous post) - thank you to all those who offered condolences and/or shared suggestions/photos for possible ways to deal with the initial fail.  I cut those strips in January of 2022 and somewhere between then and now I truly fell out of love with the original idea.  Instead of pushing forward with the project, I've packed the blocks and they're headed out to Linda S. to be transformed into a comfort quilt.  

Quiltdivajulie

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"From a little spark may burst a flame."

Dante Alighieri

Dr. Seuss - the Layout

The Dr. Seuss tumblers are laid out on the design wall.

19 wide x 16 long / 4" finished tumblers

Here's a closer look at some the many fabrics . . . 

. . .  and here are the others.

Truth be told, a 64" quilt isn't going to be 

long enough to sleep under so I've ordered a few more

Dr. Seuss fat quarters to make enough tumblers 

for two more rows and a 72" quilt.

(I'll make a scrappy reversible placemat

with the miscellaneous leftovers)

And this is where the Dr. Seuss quilt will be used

whenever Little Man spends the night at our house.

(Tent by Privacy Pop, twin mattress by EnerPlex)

***

And while I wait for the "foggy brain" after-effects of my 

COVID booster shot to subside, I'll be unstitching the 

annoyingly-perky-and-far-too-bright-yellow borders 

from Hoppipolla so I can replace them with this

delicious version of Brandon Mably's Jumble.

Quiltdivajulie

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“Whether you color the world or light it up blue, you are making a difference.  So keep being you.”

Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel)

Hoppipolla - the Flimsy

I finished up this flimsy late last week -

Hoppipolla is part of my Etcetera series.

(an Icelandic verb meaning "jumping into puddles" 

but my own version is from Dr. Seuss:

"If you never did you should.  

These things are fun and fun is good")

Construction began as part of RSC 2021

(January-pink, February-yellow, March-green,

April-blues, and May-red)

but in June I took off on my own

and this quilt top is the result.

I absolutely love the level of scrappiness.

The inspiration trail for Hoppipolla is long and winding:

February 2017 - Amanda Jean Nyberg's Crazy Rails

August 2020 - Diann B's Rainbow Rails

January 2021 - Cathy L's Rail Fence

(my own twist is that the two sides of each block 

are not exactly the same)

Doing the math for Hoppipolla:

960 1.5" x 3.5" strips

became

320 3" blocks

which became 160 pairs of 3" blocks

which became eighty 6" x 6" four-patches 

which became twenty

 12" blocks with four four-patches each

which were laid out

four across by five down (48" x 60")

plus 1" inner and a 4" outer borders

for a randomly scrappy top 

that currently measures 57" x 70"

FMQ will happen early in 2022.

I can't wait to quilt/finish/use this one.

This is the backing fabric.

(by Windham Fabrics)

Chosen in honor of Hoppipolla's nickname -

Squirrel Project No. 789.

(for context, follow this link)

I loved Cathy L's response:

 

"Oh, that's not a squirrel . . . 

that's your greatest hits remixed!  

How cool is that that some of the little pieces 

consist of even smaller pieces.  

Oh, yes . . .  perfect example of make-do.

Carry on!"

* * *

At least for a while,

I have turned on comment moderation.

After three spam messages today . . . 

Quiltdivajulie

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“A yellow room gives you perpetual sunshine.”

Steve Hovland

Six Month Re-Set

Year to Date recap:

Over the past couple of weeks,

I've been taking inventory of my projects,

cleaning up the stash and the scraps,

and re-evaluating where I want my focus

for the second half of 2021.

The first half of the year was focused on

reducing the backlog of quilt tops

waiting to be quilted and finished.

I'm very happy with the results -

sixteen (!!) quilts finished.

You can see those by clicking here and scrolling

through the posts labeled "2021 finish"

There are still nine quilt tops waiting

to be quilted plus the remaining

Kitchen Table Quilts.

The goal is at least two finishes per month.

Time will tell.

I've also managed to complete ten quilt tops.

Those can be seen by clicking here

and scrolling through the posts

labeled "2021 quilt top"

Of those, two have been donated, one has been gifted, 

and four have been quilted/finished; which leaves 

three in that group of 10 waiting to be quilted.

(plus Ludic is currently clipped ready to web the top

which will bring the total waiting to eleven)

Now on to what lies ahead for the next six months:

I had three primary Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects,

all of which have now moved beyond the monthly

color challenges and taken on lives of their own.

LINED DRAWSTRING GIFT BAGS

So far I've made 35 drawstring bags.

You can see those by using the 

Lined Drawstring Gift Bag label in my sidebar

and scrolling through the various posts.

Going forward, instead of focusing on a different color

each month, I'm going to focus on one of the six sizes.

We'll see where this ends up at the end of the year.

I already know there will be more bags 

than we'll need at any one time,

but with a deep stash it's just too much fun

to mix and match and create lots of options.

HOPPIPOLLA

This top will need 320 3" finished rail fence blocks.

Roughly 1/3 of those are complete.

The other two thirds are sewn and ready to trim to size.

I don't know if this top will be sewn by year end - we'll see.

(there's a label in the side bar for this project

if you want to see all posts on it)

UTILITY MATS

Still on the to-do list are whole cloth sets for

January (low volumes-ready to quilt), 

February (pinks-ready to quilt), 

August (brights on black-ready to quilt), and

October and November's mats (autumn colors).

As I quilt those pending quilts, 

I'll use the excess batting

to sandwich each of these groups

and get them quilted and bound.

I'm looking forward to having a year's worth 

of seasonal mat sets to pull out and use as needed.

(again, there's a label in the sidebar

that will lead you to the posts on this project)

Now for the Non-RSC works-in-progress:

SMITTEN is making noises again

to move it forward sooner instead of later,

at least as far as block construction is concerned.

+/- 250 four-patch blocks are pieced and pressed.

That means I need 110 more for a total of 360.

360 alternate squares are already cut and ready.

There's a big pile of paired scraps to be sewn

and then turned into four patches.

At that point I'll count again to see if more are needed.

(you guessed it - there's a label in the sidebar

for the posts on this project)

UKIYO originated from a virtual class

but has become a full blown quilt project.

I need 63 paper pieced quarter circles

for the layout I've chosen.

Seven of those are pieced (one row).

I'd like to sit and sew all of these 

but I suspect it will be more like 4-5 at a time

here and there in between other things.

PANDEMONIUM is currently on the design wall

the current AHIQ Symmetry (or not) Challenge.

I'll have an update on this one possibly by Friday.

And last, but certainly not least . . . 

KITCHEN TABLE QUILTS

The first seven of this twelve quilt series are done.

The final five are below:

August - ready to quilt

September - blocks made

October - ready to quilt

November - cut out and ready to piece

December - whole cloth (fabric on order)

(in addition to the dedicated blog page link above,

there's a label in the sidebar so you can

read through the whole series of KTQ posts)

* * *

Everything else in the "Pending Project Boxes" closet

or lurking in my head will just have to wait until 2022.

Unless the squirrels visit my studio again . . . 

Quiltdivajulie

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“I prefer living in color.”

David Hockney

May's RSC Reds at Last

I made a set of five utility mats for July -

two wholecloth for the end tables, 

two  wholecloth for the ends of the fireplace hearth,

and leftover hourglass blocks for the cedar chest.

(the red floral was also used as the back of InspiRED)

I used four different fat quarters 

to back the smaller mats.

Quilted with liberated all over fans

using Glide thread in Tomato.

These are May's red Hoppipolla blocks.

Each block will finish at 3 inches.

Hoppipolla's RSC 21 color groups so far . . . 

I've pulled purples for June but after that 

 I am likely to head off on my own

and work from the crumb boxes.

(since several of you asked what I would do 

with the back that was set aside when

I used the colorful birds to back Mischief Maker - 

maybe that set-aside back will work for Hoppipolla?)

These are the four "red" lined drawstring bags for May.

(one XXL, one M, and two S - 

double click for fabric details)

I have pulled fabric combinations for eight bags 

that will feature June's RSC color - purple.

After I get the purple bags made, 

I am likely to make the rest of the bags 

using fun yardage combinations from the stash

without worrying so much about the RSC color.

(to see more about any of these projects,

you can click on their labels

at the bottom of this post)

Quiltdivajulie

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“All my life I’ve pursued the perfect red.  I can never get painters to mix it for me.  It’s exactly as if I’d said, “I want Rococo with a spot of Gothic in it and a bit of Buddhist temple” – they have no idea what I’m talking about.”

Diana Vreeland