Sunday, April 7, 2019

Mission Impossible: All 48 Blocks WILL Be Completed Today!

I didn't crop my background clutter out of this shot because it gives you a better sense of scale:

38 Blocks On the Wall
Remember that annoying, migraine-inducing car trip song, "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall?" That's been going through my mind in reverse as I continue completing blocks and adding them to my design wall, counting up instead of counting down.  "38 flying geese blocks on the wall, 38 blocks on the wall..."

And they are looking COOL up there, aren't they?!  My mom finished the last of the outer, traditionally pieced seams yesterday afternoon, and the photo above was taken at about 6 PM, when she went home and Bernie and I went out for sushi.  (It would have taken more muscle than the two of us could muster to drag my mom to a sushi restaurant!)

When we got back from dinner, my husband answered the siren call of basketball on TV and I went back up to the studio, and was able to finish an additional four blocks before calling it a night, completing the 7th row:

42 Blocks On the Wall
Since I've already cut out all of my freezer paper templates and ironed them to the back of my purple fabric (also already cut out), block completion at this point consists of wetting the curved seam allowance with Best Press starch, turning it back over the freezer paper with the iron, positioning both block halves on my cutting mat to line them up for an accurate seam and a square 12 1/2" block. and then sewing that final invisible machine appliqué stitch.  That's only taking me 10-15 minutes per block once I get my groove going.  

Remaining Almost-Completed Blocks
(By the way, don't be grossed out by the crumpled Kleenex in the photo above.  I was using it to wipe excess glue from my fingers and from the glue tip, not to wipe my nose!)

My goal for this week was to finish half of the blocks for this quilt, but I'm confident that ALL of the blocks will be finished by the end of today, and I'll probably start joining them into rows today as well.

Meanwhile, after she ran out of curved seams to piece, my mom started a new project.  I dug my Accuquilt GO! Baby cutter out of the drawer and she has been cutting 4" tumblers out of my scrap bin and a couple of fat quarters from my stash.  She's going to piece a baby size outreach quilt top to keep me company while I continue working on Lars's quilt, and then I'll have another top to practice quilting on and donate to the guild's outreach program.  It's a win-win.  Actually it's a win-win-WIN, because she was having so much fun picking out fabrics and cutting them up with the die cutter!  Quilting is contagious...

I'm linking today's post with the following Linky Parties:

SUNDAY

·      Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com

MONDAY

·      Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com 
·      Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts http://www.cookingupquilts.com/
·      Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt http://lovelaughquilt.blogspot.com/
·      Moving it Forward at Em’s Scrap Bag: http://emsscrapbag.blogspot.com.au/

·      BOMs Away at Katie Mae Quilts: https://www.katiemaequilts.com/blog/ 

16 comments:

Rebecca said...

One of the neatest things about this quilt (and there are a lot) is sewing with your mother... and now the fact that she will continue to work/play with you. Oh how I miss my Mama working /playing with me on a project. So many blessings and memories.

Also way to many screens to pick out fuzzy small items to get to the point of sending comment.

Julie said...

This is so amazing! I have been watching your progress and wow, it's a stunner. How awesome your mom is sewing with you. Mine does not sew. She said she quit when I was a teenager and got better than her and she didn't like it. Great job on all those blocks!

Gretchen Weaver said...

This quilt is looking so beautiful! I'm excited just watching it grow. It's even more special since your mother is working on it with you. And a tumbler quilt, you'll have fun quilting that one too. Happy Stitching!

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

These blocks are so beautiful! They just glow! And my eyes are enjoying going around the circles.

chrisknits said...

Yay for hooking your mom into quilting!!! LOL Everything looks great.

Julie in GA said...

Your blocks look fabulous! Your color choices are perfect, giving the whole thing a wonderful glow!

Paula said...

This quilt is so awesome! I loved the design when you first posted it, and the actual fabric is great. Thanks for sharing the process, especially your various techniques for the curved seams. Knowing that others struggle with the piecing process is reassuring. It's also nice to hear about you and your mom working together.

Paula said...

This quilt is so awesome! I loved the design when you first posted it, and the actual fabric is great. Thanks for sharing the process, especially your various techniques for the curved seams. Knowing that others struggle with the piecing process is reassuring. It's also nice to hear about you and your mom working together.

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

This quilt is amazing! Great job finishing up the last few blocks. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Bonnie said...

Yea for Mom helping out. (and I'm so with her on sushi.) You are doing such a great job sharing the making of this quilt. It is amazing.

Jayne said...

Gorgeous!! I love the geese! I now have 99 bottles of beer going through my head though!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Wow!!! Those colors are amazing!! and now you have me singing along with you!! Heres to a finished top soon!!

Lynette said...

It's fun to read about your mom having a good time with you in quilting. And yes, Lars's quilt is turning out fantastic!! Your color choices for the flying geese strips were superb in terms of creating a 3D effect. P.S. - I wouldn't have thought twice about the tissue, whatever its use had been. ;D

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I'm just now trying to get caught up on blogs - the laundry is going the girls took off for Oklahoma about an hour ago - I'm sitting here with my second cup of coffee going over what needs to be done today to get the house and routine back to normal - and that meant clearing out all the blog post in the reader while drinking my coffee. So glad your mom has been able to help and I'm afraid I don't do sushi either :) The quilt top is looking great - you have got this covered!! You will get it done on time!

AnnieO said...

These geese are WOW on the webpage, must be even WOW-er in person. How fun to have your mom spend time in your sewing room. Hmmm, wonder if I can keep my mom busy doing that here with my GO cutter...

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts said...

Wow Rebecca! I love the look of those FG blocks. You chose the perfect fabrics in the way they fade throughout the arc. You are so lucky to have your Mom sew with you. Sounds like you girls are having a lot of fun!