Monday, March 17, 2008

Spring Break!


Thanks, everyone, for your tips and reassurances about the animal population of the household. It seems that we're slowly getting used to one another, sniffing under doorways, looking through the baby gate, and even cautiously sitting in the same room together on some nights. I have a million things I've meant to post about but haven't gotten around to, so here, first off, is Disappointing Zig Zag Quilt.Now, I'm not sure when the disappointment started, or what set it off exactly, but I know that it was culminated in the quilting of the beast. Everyone wonders why I do my crazy nonsense quilting? It's because I cannot quilt a straight line to save my life. Also, look at the shape of this thing! It's WAY too rectangular, which is only accentuated by the awful rumply quilting! And there's an "acceptable" amount of fabric bunching that I can live with, that I even enjoy, but what is happening in the middle of this quilt is enough to make me nauseous. And I was sure that the gray was the right choice, that it would set off the prints, but to me everything just ended up looking washed out and old. I had such high hopes. In fact, I cut enough squares for THREE of these quilts! Ha! The quilting gods are having a good long laugh at me now, I tell you. Sorry, squares, your destiny will never be to become the zig-zaggery you were intended for. I think I finished this quilt two weeks ago and couldn't bring myself to photograph it until yesterday. It has served as a fine cat pillow, though.
Anyway, moving on from that, this week is Spring Break! Now, english grammar does not dictate that those words be capitalized (although I think I should have capitalized "english"), but let me tell you, capitalization they do deserve. The fact that it's raining like crazy and I spent almost an hour in St.Patricks-Parade-Simultaneous-Downpour traffic this morning trying to get somewhere about a mile and a half away does not even damper my spirits so much, because no matter how lame what I am doing is, it is not working. Hooray for jobs at schools, I say, Hooray!Lastly, yesterday Baxter and I wandered upstairs and spent some time rearranging the old stash. I realize now that I have stash paralysis, that I have so much fabric now that when I try to find something to use I am stopped by the sheer magnitude of choices. And then, I become afraid to use anything, thinking I will surely need everything for another project, far more important than this one, and I go back downstairs. Sad, yes? Does anyone know a cure for this that doesn't involve getting rid of fabric? Because look at how ncely it is arranged now. And Baxter is enjoying his new couch.

10 comments:

meg said...

and scraps! what do I do with all of those? I was so good about not buying very much fabric last year, but this year (and it's only march) I've gone a little crazy. Now I feel like a hoarder. I need to make some big quilts. The quilt is beautiful-puckers and all.

jacquie said...

Even with the puckers I still think it's cool. I know those things can drive us nuts. I got soaked this a.m. just running into the Y. This better yield some darn good flowers.

Stephanie said...

What a fabulous stash! My cats like to do the same thing.

misschris said...

Enough! That poor quilt is darling... You're going to give it a complex, honey.

You are the most ambitious quilter though. I'd never had attempted so many lines, so close!

There is no cure-all for the stash... it just grows. Like fungus. Only that sounds bad. You know what I mean. :)

Janice said...

Puckers, Schmuckers! My living room would cry tears of joy to have that quilt grace it. Those of us who could never make anything so wonderful would be thrilled with it, lol! I do understand your frustration with it, though, as we all want what we make to turn out perfect. But to me, imperfection is the beauty of handmade. :)

Joetta M. said...

your stash is lovely just as it is. I love piles of fabric...mmm.
I think the quilt is still quite nice, actually I simply like it!!! But to bad you are not so pleased...:(

Rebekah said...

such a pretty quilt! I think the fabric combo is perfect and i love the grey.

I always get puckers when I do free motion and I don't get any puckers when I quilt in straight lines, but the lines aren't straight. They must have a class for people like us somewhere, eh?

Julie @ Letter9 said...

I'm new to your blog, been lurking for a few weeks and I just want to say: Dude! I totally get you! We could be sisters or something. I totally do the "I should save this lovely fabric for some far more important project because I love it too much and I'm afraid I'll be disappointed with this project" thing.

I do love your quilt, though. It makes me less scared to finally go at quilting my first "quilt" because I can see now that even if I mess it up, it will still look cool like yours.

That's what I'm telling myself. Just let me go with it.

Mytutorlist.com said...

So much fabric! I'm so jealous!

Chara Michele said...

Aww look at Baxter all happy to be laying on your fabric :) My cats love to do that too.