This month's Island Batik Challenge is as you see below!
At the first of the year when we get our yearly challenges, I go through and pick out what I want to do for the month's challenges. Of course, I usually don't have the first box of fabrics yet so it is just the idea and the fabric comes later.
I am not a paper piecer.
I searched the internet for hours looking for something that struck my fancy.
Couldn't find anything.
As I was going through one of my many piles I came across this fabric.
There is a story to this fabric....you have the time?
One day in Church an older woman gets up and I am just in love with her puletasi (Samoan dress). I start sketching on the program the design.
Later the Older lady was asking what I was doing and I told her. Well....before I left the island she gave me a piece of the fabric from her puletasi.
I have carried this fabric around and put it in a pile of to do's.
So as I was cleaning one day trying to decide what to do for the paper piecing when this fabric showed up.
Yea me!
Now...the designing part. I haven't a clue so it took another few days of thinking of how to make it work.
I was never good at math...trust me. People who know I quilt think I am...oh no.....no..no.
Originally I had two designs, but my husband didn't like the second one...so out that went.
This is where I made mistake number one.......
we have two printers. We have one that has a lot of ink still in it but does a horrible job in printing. I decided to use this printer even tho it distorted the lines. I thought...
Mistake number two
I thought, oh well....I will make it work, I can sew a straight line. See me pounding my head against the wall?
Mistake number three
Ignoring that little voice that said, you have gone to all this work to design the pattern, use the better printer.
We are going to skip the printer saga for now.
I chose to use
And also the Island Batik White Basics
It just yells ISLAND!!!
So, I had my fabric chosen, my pattern ready and printed out.
If I thought about it, I could tell you how many of these I have made....but nope....brain is tired.
I started this back in July and would work on it off and on...off and on.
Had to deal with this mess below.
That is the problem with paper piecing, is the pulling the paper off and boy, the mess I can make.
I know there are a lot of people who love paper piecing but I am sorry, I can give or take it. Does that make me a bad person?
Here is the back of the squares after they are sewn together.
Thank heavens for HGTV....kept my mind off of this job.
More pulling off paper.
Mistake number 4
So............... I like the end results but my practice square in non Island Batik fabrics made it into this quilt and I didn't notice it til it was too late. AHHHHHHHHHH the frustration. I wanted to throw this quilt away, that was not the only issue. So, I took two of the triangles that matched the rest of the triangles and just blanket stitched them over the practice piece. Oh my Gosh....what more can go wrong?
Mistake number 5
I noticed that when I came back to my triangles that they seemed to be smaller than the first batch...or was it my imagination? I should have STOPPED then.
Are you judging me yet?
So....I had to ease in some of the blocks....Oh the frustrations, the disappointment. I was in love with this design. So I eased the fabric in and then when it came to quilting it I had to just stipple to take in some of the excess fabrics. Oh yes....you heard it here.
I did not originally want to stipple the design. By this time I am ready to throw in the towel and just do another paper piece project for Island Batik. Truly can it get much worse?
Mistake number 6
Do you feel my pain???? Here it comes......
HERE IT COMES!!!!
so on the back, the very bottom is some crinkles in the backing.........................HOW CAN THIS BE HAPPENING!!!! By this time I look like I just had a bad perm.
That all being said, don't you just love these fabric? I do love this quilt even tho it almost ended up in the trash bin. My husband had to talk me off the ledge a few times but it is done and the end results I am happy with, if I ignore all the issues. My husband said that I am too hard on myself, maybe he is right but a gal has expectations and when they are not met.......yep...time to talk me off the ledge!
Thanks Island Batik for the wonderful fabrics and the awesome challenges that stretch my imagination and abilities.
12 comments:
First of all Barb, great job on the quilt. It looks fabulous. Terrific design. Your blog post has had me laughing from top to bottom! Of course feeling your pain throughout. Have you named your quilt Murphy’s Law? Determination and persistence and little ledge talking has all paid off with this great quilt that you can now laugh at it’s story. All the more special this quilt will feel to you. I have one like that, but not to the degree of frustration you obviously went through.
You are way too harsh on yourself. Your design is beautiful and fabrics are beautiful. What you created is beautiful. Focus on the final result, which is beautiful. The nature of a challenge is to try something new & push yourself, which you did. Doesn't mean you have to do it again. But I think you should be proud of what you created. You really have a great eye for design, as well as colors. I think you did a fantastic job. Be proud!
Even though my very first quilting started with paper piecing, I do not enjoy paper piecing. I am not enough of a perfectionist to need perfect points. (and so you know, I can mess up paper piecing and still have imperfect blocks.)
Your quilt looks fine. If it bothers you too much, give it to someone who doesn't quilt and they will love it as if it were perfect.
Well thank you. When an accomplished quilter such as you can tell a story like this, well, it's just inspiration for all. Your're the best.
xx, Carol
Good morning Barb! I'm wondering if you saw my email sent on 9/28 inquiring about the prize I won earlier in the month. Hope all is well with you!
love the design and feel your pain with making it happen.
I don't care for PP either , if I have to do it I will but I try to avoid it if possible, I hate the waste. For all your frustrations your quilt is gorgeous, you designed a beautiful quilt !
The pictures of it look just perfect. Sorry you had so many problems. It is a great design.
Barb, I had to stop reading several times because I was laughing, not at you, but you sound so much like me & paper piecing. I happy you plowed thru no matter what! You are my hero!!
This post caught my eye immediately, I have a very long frustrating list of things NOT to do while paper piecing. It’s just one of those things my brain doesnt want to successfully think through! Congrats for mastering a difficult technique!
The quilt looks awesome! Try something smaller next time or just one block!
hahahah I feel your pain. I - do - not - like - to - paper - piece. I prefer to fly by the seat of my pants and wing it when it comes to detailed blocks. Maybe I will change my mind when I am retired and have scads of time on my hands.
And the crinkly backing, been there - done that. Try as I might to avoid it, if I don't check my work after each quilting pass ... well, you know what happens.
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