Should've, could've, didn't.

I started this quilt in 2006. Rows were put together back then.

This was August 27, 2006

Sounds awful, doesn't it?  or does it sound familiar?

I collected 2000 different fabrics for this 1" thimble quilt by going through my stash, going through my friends' stashes and even picking garbage at quilt retreats.  For some reason, I got it in my head that a "charm quilt" had to have 2000 pieces.  That was back in 2006.  I no longer believe that and know better now.  

But, let's come back to 2015.  I decided now was the time to get this quilt done.  

It was all hand pieced ( my own personal challenge), so back in February 2015 I pieced the rows together.

Then I went shopping for a border.  The border is, also, hand pieced with straight lines at the top and bottom and the sides were actually appliqued to the border as they still had the thimble shape.  I didn't want to cut them straight for fear that I would cut my knots.

You can see some closeups here where I was appliquing the sides to the border.  

I decided I wanted this quilted using the Baptist Fan.  I just knew if I waited until I had the time or the energy to "hand quilt" this quilt, it would be another umpteen years before it got done.  

So, since I wanted perfection (another one of my downfalls I suppose), I didn't want to try it on my longarm with just a stencil  or a panto and didn't want to purchase the several hundred dollar mechanism called Circle Lord that would give me the effect that I wanted,  I sent it off to my friend Ruthie who owns the Circle Lord.  

I got it back from her the other day.

I was searching my stash for a good "burnt red" for the binding.  I found the perfect fabric, but  no way did I think I had enough for the binding (I usually only buy a 1/4 yard or else yardage), but just for the heck of it I figured out how many strips I needed and did the math and lo and behold, I did have enough.  I didn't have to go on the search for the perfect color and fabric for my binding at the local quilt stores.

I sewed it down that same night and took it to my mom's to hand stitch down while sitting with her.  

Here is the finished project, front and back.

So, I say, I should have hand quilted this one only because it deserved it what with the whole quilt being hand pieced.  I could have done it, but then "would I" in the next decade?  Obviously, I didn't; but I can say I have another UFO done and I am happy with that. 

Trying to finish another UFO

A while back I was obsessed at getting this very old UFO complete. I am talking about my 2000 piece, hand pieced, thimble quilt that was started in 2006.  You can see where I was talking about it here.

Well I procrastinated again on it because I was going to hand stitch the borders.  Top and bottom were easy enough because they were straight, but the sides were the shape of the thimbles. 

I procrastinated because I was trying to figure out how I was going to do this.  In my head I felt I had a good idea, but to put it in motion was another thing.  Well, I bit the bullet today.  

 I drew a 1/4 " seam line on my border. 

Pinned all the lower points of the thimbles to the stitch lines.

....and started appliquing the thimbles to the border.  

I have one side down and one more to go.  

Now I REALLY see a light at the end of this tunnel.  Wish I had started this out earlier in the day so that I would have daylight to finish the second border, but at least I know this technique is do-able and it will be done in no time at all.  

My corners are going to be mitered.  Need to check the stash to see if I have a backing and then it will be ready to quilt.  

Overachiever and/or Obsessive/Compulsive

Probably a little of both.

 

I started out this month trying to finish four projects at once. They were on the UFO list and so close to being finished.   They are now all ready for the long arm, but there they sit because I pulled out another UFO to have something to work on by "hand" while watching TV at night. 

 

Well, I got obsessed with this "hand project".

 

 

This is just the center of my hand-pieced, 1 inch thimbles. 

 

Thank goodness all the rows of this thimble quilt were completed back in 2006, but because I was so concerned about perfection when putting the rows together and that was just not happening at the time,  I just put it away for a later date.  Well, that later date was February 2, 2015.  I figured if it was going to get done, there was not going to be perfection, so I just DID it.  

 

Somehow, I got it in my head that charm quilts had to be 2000 pieces.  I now know that is not true, but what can I say. 

 

Back in 2006 I bought this rubber stamp....

 

 

along with these ink pads.

 

 

The darker ink for the lighter fabrics and the white ink for the darker fabrics.

 

I gleaned fabric from my stash and several friends' stashes and even picked garbage during a retreat just so that I would have 2000 different pieces of fabric. Not an easy feat. 

 

I have some left over thimbles and a bunch of little squares to cut out more if I so desired. 

 

 

 

I DO NOT so desire.

.

Next step for this quilt is to find a border fabric. The top and bottom will be straight stitched, but I am thinking I will be doing applique for the sides as they are kind of zig zaggy.  I did not want to trim them straight for fear I would cut off my knots and then have some unraveling happen. 

 

For now, this quilt is going to be set aside while I get back to some of my other UFOs.  When, I find my perfect border fabric and start applying  that to the thimbles, I will report back.  I AM on a mission to get this one done......THIS YEAR!!!  I think 9 years is long enough to be sitting in the cupboard waiting to be finished.

 

Happy Quilting.