Monday, July 4, 2016

Scrappy-licious

Hello everyone. My goodness me, it has been a little while since I lasted chatted. My darling husband decided to take a little 'holiday' in hospital for a week, but is now home again.....thank the Good Lord. =) I have been setting off each morning just as the sun peeps over the misty hills and arriving home in the dark of the night; hence the reason why it has been a li'l quiet down here at the bottom of the world. He is now home and feeling reasonable enough, but will undergo another operation in a month to fix this latest hiccup. I have said it before....... once one opens the revolving "cancer door" there is never a dull moment.

But.........as this is a happy place, let's chat about what has (or has not) been happening in my sewing room, shall we??

The last couple of weeks (in between medical dramas) I have been having a wee bit of scrappy-licious fun! I love making scrappy quilts. They appeal to my sense of fun.  It is liberating to place fabrics randomly next to each other with not too much thought. I love how scrappy quilts look as if one has closed their eyes when choosing what little square is placed next to another little square of fabric, AND.....of course one 'can' make the scrappy bin become less full........

I cannot quite believe it was way back in August 2014 that I started stitching this quilt filled with scrappy charm. The idea for this quilt was dreamed up when I purchased some 30's Playtime charm packs, adding oodles of 2.5" squares from my jumble of scrappy remnants and to add just a little bit of fun and a smidgen of more delight, throwing in some squares cut from remnants of doilies to the mix.






It's been two years since I have completed a quilt. Incredible! How did this happen?? I suppose, if I didn't get distracted by other imaginings in my pea brain.....teacup/teapot follies, tarting up chairs, tarting up op shop finds, fashioning bags, machine sketching, stitching a floralicious cushion or two or three, teaching a child or two at the "Kim Sharman School of Stitching Excellence...........etc. etc., my humble li'l ole abode would be filled with pretty quilts.

So......I decided enough was enough and got on with the stitching of some more, till my quilt top grew to a size I was happy with.










With the quilt top finished....and the sweet li'l birdie singing....."Oh Happy Day".... I have begun to stitch the backing.



Oh-so-scrappy-licious!!

For the backing I am stitching strips of fabric down the middle with white homespun on either side. I suppose doing this in essence gives me two quilts. I didn't have a length of fabric large enough to cover the back of the quilt top, so to keep with the scrappy look I utilised fabrics from my stash.


With both the quilt top and backing singing a happy, scrappy tune, I now need to decide how to quilt this scrappy pretty. I thought I could sew lines diagonally through the corners...but then...I could put it on my frame and stitch a simple stippling pattern all over. That would be the quickest option.....maybe that should be my plan.

Though, I do like the idea of straight, diagonal lines through each square, not absolutely every corner of every 2 inch square meets. Don't you  just hate that?? I know I do. I am a persnickety kinda gal, a bit of a perfectionist, a pain in the royal proverbial, actually! When stitching a quilt I like every corner to meet. In this case I will just have to turn a blind eye to the few that didn't play nicely. I will put on my hat of 'satisfactionism' and throw my hat of perfectionism back into the closet! With over 1,000 itty bitty squares, one would think every corner would meet. =)

Oh well, as that southern gal once said, a long time ago, " I can't think about that right now.........I'll think about that tomorrow, after all.......tomorrow is another day". =)

Let's hope I can enjoy a little stitching or perhaps even a little knitting this week and not take any more trips in the death of night, to the meeting place of  the sick and infirmed.

Wishing you all a lovely week. Until the next time.....




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40 comments:

  1. Lovely quilts with all those beautiful colors and pattern !!!!!
    Take care !
    Have a shinny week !
    Anna

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  2. Oh my, what a beautiful and rich quilt with all those lovely and amazing stitches you've made.

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    1. Thank you, Loes. Thank you for visiting my li'l corner of the world. Have a lovely week. Kim Xx

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  3. Beautiful...keeping your hubby and family in prayer.

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  4. I just love this quilt! It's a great way to use up remnants and it's so colorful! It makes me want to get busy.

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  5. Oh dear Kim. I have been missing you and wondering.......
    Your fabric cupboard!!! So very pretty. I could stare all day, but that wouldn't be polite : )
    Love your scrappy quilt. I just started one last Friday too. So fun to stitch without much thought

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  6. Love the bright happy quilt. Really like the reversible idea.

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  7. Sorry to hear about your husband Kim. Prayers are going up.
    Beautiful quilt! I love the colours. So inviting and lovely!
    Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt.
    Best Wishes...

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  8. Kim your quilt looks so pretty. I have serious respect for women who can quilt. I tried it once and it was a hot mess. Now I just cover it with a duvet cover. Your selection of patterns is lovely.

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    1. Thank you so much, Mary for your lovely comments. I think a duvet cover with a beautiful cover is lovely as well. =) Kim Xx

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  9. I am so sorry to hear about your husband, Kim! I wish him a speedy recovery. It's always great to find something cheerful to focus on during these times, and your pretty quilt is the perfect spoon full of sugar. Love the scattering of the beautiful embroidery blocks and the backing looks wonderful. You may not have quilted for two years, but you sure know how to inspire a girl (that would be me) with constant creative endeavours :)

    -Kim xx

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  10. I love scrappy quilts best of all - and yours is so wonderful. So sorry about your hubby's trip to the hospital - we try to avoid those if at all possible - and sometimes they just aren't possible to avoid. Hope your husband continues to improve.

    I like the idea of the over all quilting the scrappy quilt - oh if I just had room for a long arm machine I'd have several tops finished in a hurry.

    Again - your photos are such fun and so inspirational - I love how you compose your photos. Have a happy week my dear - and I'm glad you have a happy place.

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  11. Your quilt is beautiful Kim. And I adore the cabinet that houses your fabric stash. Hoping all remains well on the health front. xxx

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  12. Hello dear Kim, so sorry to read about your dear hubby ... I must admit I did think to myself the other day how you had not posted for awhile & strangely enough I did wonder if all was well with your dear husband. Your quilt is quite simply beautiful & gorgeous all rolled into one. I nearly expired when I saw those beautiful doiley squares. I do so look forward to seeing how you quilt this beauty. Take care dear Kim x x x

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  13. Hi Kim.
    Your quilt is lovely. Was it hard to cut up those lovely doilies? They are a beautiful addition to the scrappy quilt. I wish I could use a fabric cupboard but there is too much dust in my house. I don't see it until it lands, but I know it's there, lol.

    Best wishes for your husband's battle.
    xx, Carol, Northern Indiana USA

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    1. Believe it or not, Carol, it wasn't hard at all to cut into those "lovely doilies". I have oodles and oodles of gorgeous linens stashed away in suitcase after suitcase. I much rather see them in pretty quilts than hidden away. Besides, it seems as I use a doily or two in some pretty that I fashion, I seem to always bring an equally pretty doily found in some op shop or other, home with me. =) Thank you so much for visiting my place and leaving such a lovely comment, Carol. You have put a smile in my day. Kim Xx

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  14. Thank the good Lord that your dear husband is home with you now. Yes, the revolving cancer door is a constant battle, isn't it? My heart and prayers are with both of you.
    Your scrappy quilt is a beauty, Kim, and I love that you will have two quilts in one! I look forward to seeing the finished product, once it is quilted.
    Thank you for your sweet visit to my latest post. I always appreciate you popping in! ❤️

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  15. so sorry to hear about the husband and the nasty ole' "c". seems you were a very good caretaker staying with him during that difficult time. if you have to be in the hospital, it is so much better to have a loving family member at your bedside!!

    your quilt is gorgeous, i have not quilted in years. i like the packs of fabric they sell, 30's playtime, very nice and perhaps that makes finding the right fabric's, that go together well, a little easier. the colors are great and i like how you are doing the back. beautiful, beautiful work, although, i suppose it is a labor of love!!!

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  16. Absolutely gorgeous! I love all the colours and patterns. You have a lovely blog. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. :)

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting me way down here, Linda and thank you for your sweet comments. Hope you are enjoying a lovely week way up there in lovely Montreal. Kim Xx

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  17. Kim,
    This is lovely as usual! I love everything about this quilt, especially adding the pieces of old embroidered linens....I am not sure I could sew that many squares together but I would sure like to try. Maybe I will start with larger squares because I too get irritated when corners don't meet up perfectly! Though yours looks quite perfect to me! but ahead of a quilt, is making a teacup lamp like you did. I am in the collection process--finding cups that match the space I want to put the lamp. As always thank you for the inspiration!
    xo
    Linda

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    1. It seems there are quite a few of us perfectionists out there. Unaligned corners aside, you must put it on your list to make one of these scrappy quilts; they are so pretty with all their mismatched squares singing a happy song. But yes....you must make a teacup lamp first. Happy fossicking for those teacups and teapots! I can't wait to see what teacup/teapot folly you dream up. =) Kim Xx

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  18. I am always amazed at the hands that can make a quilt out of all those little precious pieces of fabric! I think it takes a special kind of creative mind and you have that wonderful gift. I love seeing what you are doing and I will sigh from the top of the world!

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  19. I love all your things that you do and this is no exception, just lovely. I really want to make one like this but I'm not sure how the squares are sewn. I made a baby quilt back when and barely remember what I did. I remember I embroidered little squares that came from a five and twn store going out od business. And other material squares just sewing them together on a machine. And battin in the middle and a bit of stitching on the outter parts. Maybe I should read up on it. I hope your hubby is doing better. Prayer for you both. With love Janice

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    1. Thank you so much, Janice, for popping by and thank you for your sweet comments. You must put it on your list to make a scrappy quilt; there are a lot of tutorials out there to help you along. Thank you for your prayers....my husband is doing well this week. Kim Xx

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  20. Dreamy, dreamy, dreamy Kim my lovely! I know what you mean about the brains capacity for imaginings, exceeding the hands ability to create...eeek! That's me too! Your creatings, exceed my imaginings AND my creative thingos. Just gorgeous. Hugs to you and the husband on the rotten cancer stuff. Just sucky...really, truly. Love, Mimi xxx

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    1. We have received your warm hugs, Mimi...thank you. =) Lovely Mimi, your beautiful imaginings and creative thingos are way, way up there in the stratosphere! Kim Xx

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  21. Kim your quilt is absolutely divine. You've made me want to make another but it certainly won't match your gorgeous creation. Still it's the enjoyment of making that is the most important thing.
    Thank you for visiting me and your kind comments. I so enjoy a visit from fellow bloggers.
    I have only just noticed you are from North East Tassie. My brother lives in Devonport so I know how beautiful it is where you live. We always enjoy our visits.
    I do hope all goes well for hubby.
    Until next time Have a nice sewy week jeanette xx

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  22. Very sorry to hear about your hubby. Your quilt is adorable, just adorable. I love all the colors and love that you recycled the bits and pieces of vintage linens. I just love that idea.

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  23. Oh, oh, oh, what a divine and sweet quilt, my friend. How I love your fabric choices and the addition of embroidered squares makes the quilt absolutely perfect! It's always such a wonderful blessing to visit you.

    I am ever so thankful to hear your husband is okay though I am ver sorry he was in the hospital... Know that I pray for him and you often.

    Love and hugs!

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  24. So sorry to hear that your hubby had a bad spell there and had to go into hospital, and that he has an operation coming up. Pray all will be well and that you have the strength to get through it all too.
    I love that your quilt is a two for one deal, Great idea using strips, I have a few of those in my scrap bin too but not enough to cover a whole back yet but now I have an idea for them ;) Scrap quilts are my favorite too and I have one that needs to be finished, maybe one of these days I will get it out and work on it and finally finish it up. So neat you have added a touch of embroidery to it also, very sweet touch, good luck with your decision on how to quilt it next :)

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  25. Your quilt so much reminds me of both my grandmothers and their quilts. They always used scraps and made the most wonderful quilts. I inherited two from my maternal grandmother but am sorry to say that all my paternal grandmothers collection was lost in a house fire. How I wish I had just one of hers.

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  26. Oh, bless your heart, so tough to have your husband in the hospital! Sure do hope that he gets to feeling better soon! Your srappy quilt is simply amazing, oh how I loved to see those scraps of fabric all sewn together in such a delightful manner, you truly have a gift for quilting! However you decide to finish the quilt, it will be a beauty!

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  27. This is looking so lovely and the two for one makes it even more delightful. Sorry to hear of your husband's recent hiccup. I do hope all is well now. Sending much love and many good wishes from the other side of the world to you both xxx

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  28. First of all, my best wishes for a speedy recovery of your husband!
    You quilt is a piece of art and I couldn't feast my eyes enough with all the beautiful scraps of fabric you have!!!
    P.S. Gone with the wind. Still one of my favourite movies.

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  29. Oh this quilt is so perfectly you. LOVE IT! Your and your husband continue to be in my prayers.

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  30. oh, it's just precious! You amaze me at all you accomplish. Scrappy quilts are the best and I love the added embroidery squares. I often piece my backs because i'm too cheap to buy a solid backing. lol! Hope your hubby is doing better!! Sending prayers your way for both of you!
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. Hello lovely, Jann....thank you. =) Just between me and you, I don't think I will be piecing the back of a quilt any time soon as I found it soooo difficult to align to the front. Although more expensive to back with one fabric, it would be much easier on the state of my mind. =) I found this pieced backing filled with botheration. Thank you for your well wishes re my husband....he has had a good week. Hope all is well with you. Thank you for visiting....always a delight to have a visit from your lovely self! Kim Xx

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  31. Beautiful quilt and such pretty colours, really need to do the same to reduce stash. Sorry to hear about the health hiccup, best wishes for your husband´s quick recovery.

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  32. Dear Kim:
    I just read this post and see about your hubby - glad to hear he is home. I love how you are using the old vintage embroidery. That makes it looks so unique and vintage!

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