Creative Queue Challenge

Tammy Gracia over at Daisy Yellow started the challenge and the idea of getting all those started but incomplete projects out to finish off was seductive.  Sometimes a project may be little more than the germ of idea or perhaps all the materials may be there just waiting to be used or assembled.  The latter was how it was with me.

If you look back over the past few entries, you’ll see what I was up to.

Creating a quilt with someone in mind is a labour of love – and I’ve been blessed with good reasons to labour.  My first Chinese brocade quilt was for my daughter, the second for my daughter-in-law’s birthday – I’m going to have to work full-time to get it completed in time!  I bought the fabric in Sampeng Lane, Bangkok in early 2010 so it’s taken a while to get under way.

You might have noticed the quote I use as a sub=title to my blog, “you don’t need to catch up, just start.”   Tammy usually begins her posts with interesting quotes from a variety of people however this was one of her own and for me, it was a BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious).  It was one of those messages that caused me to stop putting things off and start putting things into action. Take that first step whether it’s a new project or completing something you’ve already begun – it doesn’t matter if it’s late – it just matters that you take it.

more progress

This quilt is going to look stunning – I just know it.  The challenge is getting from the ‘bits all over the floor’ stage to the ‘oh isn’t it stunning’ stage – remember how much Chinese brocade frays!

I now have 3 wonderful cushion covers – samples of how I might put the quilt together.  This is the complete opposite to how I would usually work.  Usually the whole thing would have been thought through, all the problems anticipated and solved and the completed quilt pictured in my mind – not this time.

I’m still undecided which pattern to go with. . .

Squares are not easy to line up in this fabric – although I could have taken a little more care.

These random bricks don’t need lining up but 2 metre long strips of Chinese brocade will be tricky to sew together – it was bad enough when they were just 80 cm long.

This is perhaps I favour – one rectangle and 2 squares forming a bigger square arranged in a random fashion.   When I assemble the larger square, I can trim it so they together well and as the layers will be tied rather than sewn, I can disguise and mismatched corners.

Or I might do something completely different – I’m going to consult the intended recipient.

Creativity Queue Challenge

Tammy Garcia over at Daisy Yellow has a Creativity Queue Challenge going – a great way of getting all those part-completed (even if it’s just an idea), out there into the physical world.

My particular challenge is a Chinese brocade quilt.  Now I know that once I start it will be addictive and I’ll find that it’s 3:00pm and I’ll not have eaten lunch.   The  actual starting is the problem.   So how late is this project?  I bought the fabric in Bangkok in 2009 (there are those who would say I should lead shopping expeditions in Bangkok).

3 years isn’t too bad is it?

Okay – table cleared, equipment out, procrastination over!   There’ll be an update of progress tomorrow.