KOSELIG - the Quilt

This was Koselig beside my sewing machine just moments after I finished the binding.

And this is Koselig outdoors.  I took way too many photos because the light was being much too "autumn-y." 

This is the scrappy pieced backing that used up several odds and ends from previous projects.

I LOVE it.

Quilted with my liberated spiral fans using Glide thread in Pink.

Note to file:  I will definitely use the Hannah design by Erica Jackman of Kitchen Table Quilts again (in fact I have a low volume version already cut out).

The best part is that I finished Koselig in time to ship it off to my sister in Michigan (to counter the grayer days of winter) AND have the quilt arrive BEFORE her actual birthday (which is today).  

(cue the Happy Birthday song)

Quiltdivajulie

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"Why shouldn't art be pretty?  There are enough unpleasant things in the world."

Pierre-Auguste Rodin

Koselig - the Flimsy

And now all thirty blocks are sewn together.  

I enjoyed how quickly this top went together.  

Made using the Hannah design by Erica Jackman at Kitchen Table Quilting with a scrappy mix of strips rather than strip sets as shown in the pattern (she offers directions for both methods).

If you make a scrappy version, my only suggestion is to cut the strips longer than the 12.5" block size to make squaring up less dicey.

My goal now is to get the top rolled onto a pool noodle and the top/back pin basted in the next day or so.

I've already decided to quilt Koselig ( a Norwegian adjective that means "a feeling of deep contentment, provided by a person, place, or atmosphere; experiencing happiness and personal well-being through a combination of nature, companionship, and coziness.") with pink thread since the quilt is going to my sister to add color to the coming winter months.

* * * 

And thank you for all the good wishes regarding the two boards of directors (one of DH's and one of mine).  Both groups are experiencing challenges which can be handled but the path ahead will not necessarily be smooth.  

Quiltdivajulie

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"One of the most powerful things I've learned [about art] is that progress is not linear."

Alison Beere

Koselig - the Blocks

Over the weekend I did get the rest of the 12.5" blocks for Koselig squared and onto the design wall.

The next step will be to sew them all together.

The scrappy pieced backing was assembled several weeks ago and rolled onto a pool noodle ready for pin basting.

And, once quilted and finished, Koselig will be in the 60" x 72" range.

* * *

One step at a time!

Quiltdivajulie

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“Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed: I was here. I was hungry. I was defeated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in love. I was afraid. I was hopeful. I had an idea and I had a good purpose and that's why I made works of art.”

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

Flaneur - the Layout

Flaneur has reached a major milestone - all thirty blocks are pieced/pressed and on the design wall.

Started in November 2021 in response to the color palette from Bonnie Hunter's Rhododendron Trail mystery.  

After a few design changes, the 3" (fin.) HSTs were die cut in March 2022 and sewn leader-ender style for what felt like forever.

The pressing was then done in groups of 10-20 whenever I had the iron on.

The final layout is NOTHING like my original idea (inspired by Random Vector by Susan Kephart) or the second plan (inspired by Birds in Flight by Bertha Robinson ca. 1950).  (see this post for photos)

(you can read all of the previous posts for Flaneur by using the label at the end of this post or in my sidebar)

V3 (above) was inspired a photo I found online long ago.  There was no maker info attached to that photo and the only pattern I found that even comes close to this arrangement is called Dusky Mountains by Phoebe Moon Designs.

When sewn together, the thirty blocks will yield a top that is 60" wide x 72" long.  

This photo shows the most accurate color balance for the Tula Pink Fairy Dust background.

p.s.  I won't be sewing the blocks together because with this backing and binding they are currently headed to Linda S. to be finished and sent out into the world as a comfort quilt (like several others from my Not a Mystery series) as part of my ongoing Pay It Forward effort.

* * *

And so, with the conclusion of this project, I am officially calling an end to my Not a Mystery series. 

Quiltdivajulie

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“The tension between what is, and what we dream of, is important. Not to discount what we have, but to hold onto that middle ground, because it's in there that the magic happens.”

Susan Branch

Bits and Pieces

I pressed the first stack of HSTs for Flaneur.  You can see that there are still a lot more to be pressed.

I also sub-cut all of the scrappy trips tubes for Raconteur.  

It was so nice outside Saturday that I sat and unpicked the strips.  That means eighteen more blocks are now ready to assemble as time and energy permit.

When I sub cut the tubes, there was one extra 2.5" "ring" from each, so those were turned into a very long strip of 2.5" squares.  

Once pressed, I will set this long strip aside to use as an insert into the low volume backing.

Jan O. posted about a recent finish for her guild's charity program and a light bulb went off in my head.

I have a large stack of 2.5" scrappy brown strips (foreground) left from an unknown project that would work perfectly with her design.

I'll pair each brown with a low volume - scrappy of course.

I've named this one Hospice 1 as it will be a comfort quilt.

Hospice 1 is now ready for its first round of leader-ender (or mindless) stitching.

And then I thought about this jelly roll that has been in my studio for eons (from long before I quit buying pre-cuts).  Again, pairing the darker prints with low volumes would make another comfort quilt, which I've named Hospice 2.

Hospice 2 is also ready for its turn as a leader ender or mindless stitching project.

* * *

Progress comes in many forms . . . 

Quiltdivajulie

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Paying It Forward

These are sewn/pressed HST blocks

for a quilt layout 12 wide x 15 long.

Along the way I fell out of love so

I emailed Alycia to see if they could be used

as the start of a QOV for a navy veteran.

(color palette was inspired by a photo of 

my grandson playing on the Atlantic beach in NC)

She happily said "YES!"

so these are now on their way to Colorado.

Shoshin is currently enroute to Linda S of Art in Search

who makes the most wonderful comfort quilts.

I have sent her tops and backings before

and now seemed right to send her a few more.

Ludic is in that same box to Linda.

This top is smaller so I included fabric for borders

as well as enough binding strips for the larger size quilt.

Blithe is the third quilt top/back heading to Linda's house.

(I swapped out that fabulous elephant backing

and substituted this Kaffe Tiddlywinks yardage)

* * *

It feels good to pay it forward.

Quiltdivajulie

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“I think hope and magic are most probably connected.”

Kate DiCamillo