Terminal Practicality
There is a very long list of things I’d like to learn how to do. I’d like to learn to spin my own yarn. I’d like to raise chickens (which will never happen as long as we live downriver from a chemical plant, but I can dream). I’d love to learn how to throw pottery on a wheel. And it would be really good if I could learn how to take better pictures.
Everything that happens in my life is pretty much a crime of opportunity. Keeping chocolate morsels in the pantry significantly increases the likelihood of cookies, for example. I’ve gathered the supplies for painting on silk, painting lace, beading, machine embroidery, heirloom sewing and others just in case I have a dire need to paint, bead or embroider. It could happen. Over the last year or so I’ve been gathering the tools for rug hooking, or more precisely, punch needle rug hooking.
Several years ago (um, like maybe eight years ago, but who’s counting?) I started a rug with the traditional hook technique. I got as far as WE in “welcome” before I lost interest. Of course that hasn’t kept me from collecting wool to cut into strips. But still, I didn’t really enjoy using the hook to lift the strips to the front of the work, it hurt my hands. So, the base fabric hangs from the quilt hoop frame (that I bought thinking that I might like hand quilting someday), waiting.
After knitting myself crazy making the stranded projects for Christmas I decided the time was right to pull out those punchneedle supplies. I pushed a few lines around to create the design, snapped up a sharpie marker and set to work.
In no time at all I had the design traced and hooped, feeling very clever that I had the foresight to stash this stuff.
As with all things, there was a learning curve. My first leaves were too densely packed. The yarn was too thin for the punch needle, so I doubled it up. It didn’t occur to me to check the other punch needle I had stashed, trusting my memory that it was larger. (It isn’t.) But I found that I liked using two different shades at once, and the doubled strands filled the spaces faster.
Not bad for a first attempt. This thirteen inch circle took just a couple of hours and put a significant dent in my Christmas knitting leftover yarn. I guess it will become a pillow top, or something.
But what is an appliquist to do? The design just demanded that I applique it. I mean, really, how could I not?
Time to run to the stash and pull some fabrics the fine folks at Northcott sent me, gradation of shade and color across the width of the fabric, it’s an appliquist’s dream.
Here it is, laid out just as for the little rug thingie. It’s lovely, I really love it. I love the delicate shading that the fabric provides. I really like the circle showing through the background fabric, I’ve been thinking about how that should be incorporated into the design.
But now I have a problem. What do I do with this design? I’m sort of obsessing on the Block of the Month for this year. I was thinking that I’d really like to do a Baltimore Album style quilt. Or a series of little quilts. Or, ideally, a series of little quilts that could be combined to make a Baltimore album quilt. My default setting for quilt design is to start with a queen size. I’m too practical. Everything must be useful, have a purpose. So, what do you think? A series of circles? A series of circles with no other plan than to let you decide what you’re doing with the end product? Arggg! Help me out here!
January 8th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Oh Beth, a block of the month, P L E A S E!!!!! We need it! LOL. Love that block!
I loved reading about your collection tendencies. I’m the same way. Keep returning to applique!
Where can we get some of that delicious fabric?
January 8th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Collecting craft supplies here too. My scrapbooking collecting is still happening even though I haven’t really used any of it to Scrapbook lately. I use some of the supplies for my quilting, so it wasn’t wasted $$. Love that you see a quilt even in a rug hooking. Little quilts sounds like a great idea. Handwork to take on my road trips to buy more stuff… I wouldn’t have to wait to finish at the end of the year when life gets hectic.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Those fabrics from Northcott are just beautiful…wow! I love the idea of a series of circles with no other plan…maybe an idea of how they could be set into a top because a lot of people would love that, but I like the idea of just doing a few for wall hangings or pillows.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Little quilts that can be combined to make that ‘queen’ in your head sound like a great idea.I’m being selfish,between 3 teenage girls,a mastiff,a golden retiever,a mutt,a cat and lets not forget the occasional grandchild or two,my Hidden Star quilt is looking mighty ‘lived on’.Love your Baltimore idea.
January 9th, 2010 at 6:52 am
Combine the two: put the rug on one side and the applique on the other. Make a series and connect the dots (ok, they’ll be big circles). It would make a great room divider or window covering. A non-rugger could just do the appliques and place them on a background to quilt or a non-quilter could just do the rugs with a plain backing.
Isn’t it nice to be able to find supplies for a new technique or craft in your own closet? For me it’s more like uncover, as in an archeological dig, and set aside until the time is ripe to attack the new technique.
January 9th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Beth..
I love the idea of smaller quilts that “could” be combined into one if desired. The big quilts are sometimes a bit scary for beginners…they might start and never finish (I did that 3 times with your BOM) They are a bit overwhelming!
Just my opinion…Love the Baltimore idea…
January 9th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Beth,
Block of the month would be AWESOME!!!! please, please, please. What a blessing to have fresh new projects each month…….like we don’t all have UFO’s ha ha. But I won’t be able to resist.
Shelia
January 9th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I would love to a baltimore album quilt as a block of the month.
Something not to complicated.
Huggs
Linda
January 9th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I would love to see what you would do with a Baltimore Album. My New Year’s resolution is to finish up some things that have been piling up in my sewing room. I got to the bottom of the pile today and guess what was there? All the parts to Lillibet”s Garden–except for the applique, of course. I’m excited to get it set together and get the applique going–I can’t believe I never finished it! It got me thinking about whether you would have a BOM this year as I hadn’t been following along for a couple of years–life seemed to get in the way–but I will be keeping an eye out to see what you come up with and in the meantime I will be working on finishing up Lillibet’s Garden. Thanks for the beautiful patterns!
January 9th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Love the idea of circle blocks to be used in any way we want. Have not seen an idea you have put out there, that I did not like.
Have not done a Baltimore Album. This might get me started.
Dona
January 9th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Love the BOM idea. Keep going… we’re there for you!
January 10th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I baltimore quilt–queen size–BOM– GREAT IDEA can hardly wait-thats what I wanted last yr. so maybe maybe
Or little quilts that I can then turn into a queeny wow!! I love it and I love the fabrics hope you make quilts if so ADD me to list
My thimble to yours
sandy
January 10th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I mean I hope you make KITS with the fabric!! I want one
January 10th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
A Baltimore Album quilt has been on my “bucket list” for a very long time. I even bought books in hopes they would help get me started. Go for it Beth, you could break it down for me like no one else I know of.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:10 am
I would also love to see what you would do with a Baltimore Album. Waiting patiently . . .
January 11th, 2010 at 5:35 am
Hi Beth, I love that block and yes I agree with a lot of the others - a Baltimore style quilt would be lovely with those materials. Like you I collect things for when I ‘might want to learn that’ - like fabric dyeing; fabric painting; punch needle too; paper making etc etc - you know what I mean. I often think what will my family (all boys) would think if they had to come and clean up my house if I departed this world….. They would definitely say ‘Mum, has really chucked a mental this time!!!’. (That’s an Aussie saying for ‘what has she done’.
January 11th, 2010 at 8:39 am
I vote block of the month. I just love everything you do and would love to attend one of your workshops .
January 11th, 2010 at 9:55 am
I too like the idea of smaller quilts linked together by a common theme that could be made into a larger quilt. Perhaps the four seasons . . .
January 11th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Yes your BOM’S are great! but oh so big. I like them wall, lap, or twin size. Your projects are soooo daunting. I’ve been working on a Baltimore Album BOM from fatcat.com. Its being done by hand in the blanket stitch. I need the therapy. Will check back to see what you come up with, love the circle applique to do what I want. My nickname, ‘Topper’, says it all. thanks keep ‘em coming.
January 11th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
That block is absolutely beautiful! If that were available as a block of the month, I would drop everything else in my life to make it. I’ve always wanted to do a queen-size Baltimore album style quilt…
January 12th, 2010 at 11:18 am
A Baltimore Album gets my vote. I also like the circle idea. And I’m in for a queen size too. Love how your sample turned out. Just gorgeous.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Hi Beth, a Balitmore Album combined in a circle design sounds just wonderful…now I just have to get back to “Lillibet” and finish the applique. Look forward to seeing what you come up with….cheers Linda B from Australia
January 14th, 2010 at 7:36 am
I love the circle appliques! Can’t wait! Even if you don’t do a final setting, it would make a great quilt with simple sashings and borders.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:33 am
I love this block and the beautiful fabrics. A BOM Baltimore Album quilt would be lovely to work on over the year. Looking forward to it.