enJOY it

How are we doing? Anyone making progress?

I am trucking along. A step at a time. It's a little quilt factory around here and I've considered making the ironing board part of our seasonal decor. I just stick a tree skirt around the bottom and call it festive.

As mentioned, I am making four quilts by Christmas. I currently have one in each stage of production. And yes, I totally know that sharing here eliminates all surprise for the eventual quilt receivers but that's the curse of having a crafter blogger for a daughter/daughter-in-law/niece. (The blessing is that you get a quilt for Christmas.)

one / this one is still in squares. But I have laid it out and I have a plan. The most tedious part for me is sewing all the squares into strips so I have to really gear up for it and I am not sure when that will be.

I have been sharing photos on instagram and get lots of questions about the fabric and how I lay them out. The fabric for these patterned quilts is from Joanns. I go to their wall of 100% cottons and spend a long time looking through for the best of the best. I always go in with a color scheme decided. I always pick patterns that have just two colors. I always look for a mix of small prints and big prints. I always look for a mix of graphics and florals. And then when I lay them out, I just don't let same patterns touch. I get the whole thing set up and take a step back and sort of squint to make sure there is not too much "white" in one place or too much "dark" in another.

two / this one is the one I am keeping for myself and is still just a quilt top. I have had it "done" for weeks but am at a total loss for how I want to back it and bind it. What color? Do I want a patterned backside? Patterned border? The choices are crippling me, which is odd – my crafting style is more "attack now & never look back" so I am not used to the indecision. Thankfully I have a lot of other stuff to do so this can just take a backseat until inspiration strikes.

three / this top is sewn and the whole thing is sandwiched! The backside is a nice cream color. Next step is sewing all the layers together (which is truly my favorite part). I am in no real rush though because I haven't found a border fabric for this one so it can't be finished yet.

four / the first complete quilt! This one came together first because I found a great border fabric early. It's neater than my original one (the corners match up much better) and I am so happy with how it turned out. Paul, who rarely comments other than the obligatory, "looks great, babe" was even impressed, so that's a good sign. After Christmas, once all of these have been given out, I'll share better photos and close-ups.

And that's my update for October… how are you doing?