Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Tedium Begins!

I always get excited when I start a new quilt!  Especially one that has been dancing around in my head for a long time.  Sometimes the hardest part is actually starting!

Knowing full well this quilt will most likely be frustrating and tedious...I'm going to attempt it and hope that the effort and hard work will be worth it!



What is this, you ask?!  A finely tuned array of red, orange and yellow sunset inspired strips!  What will it become?!  Hopefully a small quilt when it's all said and done!
  
RAW II
A while back I blogged about this Mini Quilt:  RAW II.  I was experimenting with texture by using the small raw edge woven blocks and it soon led to the 'louver' texture of the gradient strips.  I pretty much fell in love with the texture, the illusion it creates from different angles and in truth...the process.  I knew at that time that I wanted to take it to another level and make a larger quilt.  Just to see if it can be done.  Test my limits. 


It involves a lot of cutting of 3/4" strips!  I raided my stash and came up with 35 different colors.  The number of strips per color vary depending on the cut of fabric.  If the fabric is from selvage to selvage, I cut two strips.  Fat quarters get four strips and of course, there are some random three strip sets.

 

Before I can even think about cutting, I had to starch the fabric.  You can imagine how time consuming that was!  But it is well worth it in the end.  Each strip next had to be folded in half.  My fingers were sufficiently 'steamed' many times trying to fold the strips from skinny to even skinnier after the fold treatment!  I had to keep reminding myself that this is going to be worth it!



I'm hoping that today I can cut the background strips using Kona Ice Frappe.  These strips won't be as small as the sunset strips and they won't need to be folded.  I'm confident that it will be a much easier process!

 
Having just finished a complicated color placement quilt:  Bows & Flows, where I labeled each color as to avoid confusion, I thought this newest composition would need its own labeling system.  A chart it is!  My plan is to cut out the numbers and staple each one to the ends of each strip.  That way...fingers crossed...I won't get the colors out of order!



Great plan or so I thought about labeling!  I ended up writing the number on each strip and using the paper labels stapled on to the dark fabric.  Both ideas will work!

Rumor has it the next week will be full of rain each and every day.  Seems like the perfect time to hunker down in my sewing room!

To be continued...

LINKING:
TGIFF

17 comments :

  1. This sounds like quite the production. ☺ I can't wait to see how it progresses. Good luck!

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    1. I think it will take a bit of time and more steamed fingers! I’m actually looking forward to it. It’s so much fun to finally get to those ideas swimming in my head!

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  2. Love your quilt design & planning insights!

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  3. I would not call it tedium. It is a labor of love - painstaking but so rewarding and absolutely worth it.

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  4. Oh my goodness. I'm anxious to see where you take this. You are certainly dedicated to an idea! ;-) Love it!

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    1. It’s been a month since I messed with the original! I’ve been thinking about it ever since and cannot wait to get a few things off my plate so I can dive in!

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  5. I'm looking forward to seeing how this comes together for you, Jayne, and I hope that it's a fun play for you.

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  6. Love the colors you are using - this is going to be really cool. I can feel it. I am excited to see your progress Jayne.

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    1. I hope to jump in with both feet in the next few days! I need to block out a chunk of time to devote to it!

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  7. Oh my goodness, you really have my curiosity piqued!

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  8. You are such a pioneer Jayne, which is why your works are all so interesting. Have fun with this next process.

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  9. Hi Jayne,
    I heard another rumor . . . something about a fabric bundle being shared tomorrow?!! Anyway, back to today - I can just feel those steamed fingers and the thoughts that went through your head. Or maybe I'm the only one who pulls my fingers away like the iron did that on purpose, and that it should know it should only steam the fabric - not me. I can't wait to see where all these pretty goodness leads. Only to more goodness, I'm sure. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  10. Looking forward to seeing your progress with this big undertaking! But I also know you love the creative process so you'll have fun doing it.

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  11. Fascinating! The texture is going to be so great on this :)

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  12. Love the colors! I think you're right that the steamed fingers will be worth it. I can't wait to see it progress!

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  13. You go girl! (Shaking my head and grinning) I will watch from the sidelines :)

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  14. Sounds pretty complicated, but knowing you'll end up with stunning results. Can't wait!

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