For Thanksgiving, I'm going to the Outer Banks. I really enjoyed my last hand project. It was a hexagon/Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern and I used scraps of Aunt Jane fabrics. It was a very small wallhanging so it only took me a couple months. It's layered and basted and ready to be quilted.. but I'm debating on whether to hand quilt it (something totally new) or just machine quilt it (and be done!)
In the mean time I wanted a new hand project and since I enjoyed English Paper Piecing so much I wanted to try something like that again. I want to try the pieces to be a little bigger this time and I wanted to try a different shape or shapes I also wanted to incorporate my hand-dyes and I have been looking at photos of 3D quilts on line. Most of the optical illusion or 3-dimensional quilts require use of the dreaded "Y-Seam" thus perfect for hand-piecing.
I saved a copy of Jinny Beyer's "3rd dimension optical illusion" quilt pattern that looks like a cube inside of a cube.
I'm going with this pattern and size. Instead of using the 18 fabrics and 3 seperate color combos for the "blocks" like Jinny, I'm going to make each block different. This is a great opportunity to showcase my hand-dyed fabrics I've accumilated over the years. = D One thing I have learned from past experiences is that when I make a very large quilt or do any hand project I MUST have fabrics in a lot of different colors or I lose interest, and a UFO is born. LOL. I really think with the color palette I've chosen, I won't lose interest and hopefully enjoy the whole piecing process.
Here's some pics of all my pretty dyed fabrics and on the table they are all roughly cut into shapes in preperation for English Paper piecing. I rough cut this time because last time when I cut the hexies exactly 1/4" larger than the template, it seemed like I didn't have enough room. There was enough room, but BARELY enough which was annoying, so this time I'm using pieces a bit bigger. I'll make the templates or paper pieces EXACT!
Okay, so I think this is going to be super cute and colorful and I can't wait to get started!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Family Vacation at the Outer Banks:
Along with starting a new English Paper Piecing project, I'm also excited about going out of town for Thanksgiving. My mom and all her kids and my Mom's Brother, his wife and their two kids will be going to the Outer Banks for Thanksgiving this year.
I really look forward to these get-togethers because of all the music. Here's a run-down of who does what. = D
*Mom, Terrie Bowen - sings and plays a little piano
--*Mom's husband, Mark Bowen - listens and enjoys ; )
-*Oldest daughter, me Katie Wiseman - Sings and plays a little guitar
---*My husband, James Wiseman - Plays fantastic rhythm guitar and sings.
-*Middle daughter, my sister Emily Hager - Sings and plays piano beautifully
-*Youngest son, my brother Curtis Hager - Just graduated from Berklee College of music with a film scoring degree. He is excellent at keyboard and guitar but can pretty much play any instrument in his path and also has composed lost of songs and has had many jobs arranging musical numbers for bands and choirs. He's also an amazing singer.
*Mom's brother, my uncle Alan Daubenspeck - Uncle Alan has a music degree, has been in bands most of his life, has composed music, sings beautifully (Sounds like Billy Joel but better) He specializes in keys, guitar and horn - but he also can play just about any instrument that comes in his path. He also teaches music.
-*Alan's wife, my aunt, Debra Daubenspeck - Debra is an amazing singer and is a beautiful person inside and out. She's even recruited ME to sing with their band a time or two.
--*Oldest Son, my cousin, Brandon Daubenspeck - a guitar player, specializes in electric I think.
--*Youngest Daughter, my cousin, Bridget Daubenspeck - Bridget is beautiful, and although I'm not sure if she's ventured into the family hobbies yet, she definately makes us all look good!
Needless to say it is one talented showdown when we get together. Only family by blood or marriage is 'allowed' at our family vacations and It makes my heart almost burst to think about my husband pickin and grinnin along with the rest of my family for the 1st time. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, handsome, loving, hard-working and talented husband! I can't wait to show him off with the rest of the musical family.
To top it all off, the house we're renting at the beach allows dogs. I get to bring my sweet baby Louie the Dachshund and the Daubenspeck's are bringing their new German Shepperd Roxy I haven't met her yet but she looks so sweet and I can't wait. Louie's never been to the beach- I've been showing him pictures of dog's on the beach.. ya know to get him excited to go on the 9-hour car ride. HAHA
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Jaime's project FinishedTo end things off here - I wanted to show you a pic of my recently finished project "Jaime's Quilt" It is an original design made specifically for my friend Jaime (read more about this on my last post.) It's going to be hard to part with this - I love it!
