I've been trying to CLEAN HOUSE here at Bumble beans... I need to move out
tops/backings, some to be quilted by me, some to send them out,
so they GET done in my life time... LOL!
I have a few favorites that I just want done.
Like this Anguillan Sunrise quilt...
Wanna Hear it's story? It's a long one!
It all started with this one Dresden in OCTOBER 2009.
When i started applique again after a 20+ hiatus...
These Paula Prass fabrics had me so excited I had to make something with them.
And one Dresden turned into MANY Dresdens...
I auditioned many fabrics and found the Yellow gingham would work best,
but I had only ONE yard of it, and I couldn't find more of it.
SO then I tried other options that lived on my wall for a good few months at a time..
And even got a little CrAzY!
I tried many other yellows
And more yellows...
I went to Houston and bought nearly every yellow I could find.
Still no luck...
It then was stuffed into a basket, and shelved for a good year.
Then, two great things happened.
I wen to Lancaster, PA, and found these in an antique shop. HMM,
I was drawn to the colors of the blocks.. Black, pink, yellow, browns...
SO I remade a bunch BIGGER.
Now what to do with those?
Then I went to Anguilla. And all those colors were around me...I didn't sew a lick on that trip.
But when I got home, the light bulb went off... Merge the two! same colors!!
It still needed that yellow!
Wouldn't you know it, I found another yard of that original YELLOW fabric online!
I got this far, then I put it away again... Until October this year
I didn't applique the Plates until Xmas of this year.
And By Golly, I wan this quilt finished!
March will be a year and half in the making of this quilt...
And You all thought I worked fast....
hehehe!
I hope to have a finished top to show you by the end of this week...
Fingers crossed!
Do you have any quilt that has taken you years to create?
I absolutely love the colors and fabrics. Your Dresdens are beautiful! It's going to be a spectacular quilt.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beauty. Worth the wait, definitely!
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Sometimes they just need to sit for awhile until you are inspired again. I just finished one that was 6 years in the making! hehehe
ReplyDeleteSometimes it just takes a while to get that lightning strike of inspiration. Usually worth waiting for, I think. Definitely in your case. I love the yellow and I think nothing else would have had the desired effect. You knew what you wanted!
ReplyDeletegreat story and a stunning quilt! I've been following your example and pulling/cleaning and finding all sorts of WIPS...I'm SURE I'll find something older than 1.5 years...wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteummm, just about all of my quilts take more than a year. at least the big ones. let's see, I have 2 dozen dresdens just floating around, a dozen free-pieced roses, a block challenge quilt that has been laid out for a year and not pieced together, and about six that need quilting. I'm not fast at all getting quilts finished!
ReplyDeleteToo many to count and some that I wonder if I will ever finish :0)
ReplyDeleteThis one is looking just right........I love yellow....so bright and happy :0)
How are you going to quilt it?
Happy sewing.....new snow and 25 up here :.0
hehe!
ReplyDeleteI meant just designing this quilt... It just never could come together for me... Couldn't get it to look like something interesting...
I have stacks of quilt tops, that need to be done...
The layout on this particular one just kept defeating me!
When I read the last line of your post I snorted and milk came out of my nose. Sorry. Yeah, I have projects that have taken me years to create. I thought that's how long they were SUPPOSED to take!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story and great quilt to boot! Can't wait to see how you're going to finish it out. I have only a handful of quilts waiting to be quilted and about the same number waiting for the blocks to be made into a top, but somehow I keep getting sidetracked! I think I'm going to try and focus and get some of those ufos done this year. (I wonder how many people say that in January?)
ReplyDeleteCindy asked: (I wonder how many people say that in January?)
ReplyDeleteI say that EVERY January! LOL.
Love the quilt top. It is perfect!
glen
This was worth waiting for. It's gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I think you should send me some scraps of your yellows. I need yellows for my colours quilt. A good yellow is hard to find.
I've loved that yellow gingham since you first auditioned it, it's looking fabulous V! Yep, of course I have tops that took years, one took just over 10 years to complete, and several countries (started in Belgium, continued in UK, finished in The Netherlands!), and a fabric that started in the original blocks I found 10 years later in the same quilt shop for the borders!
ReplyDeleteThis quilt is fantastic! Great story, too!! A year and a half doesn't sound really long to me, though ;-)
ReplyDeleteSome things just need to simmer a while... My own? does embroidery count? I have a cross stitch I started when I was around 16 yrs old... maybe I should finish that.. Oh yes, and my very first quilt is still screaming for attention.. now THAT is a LONG story too! Bad teacher, lots of remedial needed.. One of these days...:-) Like the finished solution you came up with. That yellow is just so spot on! Lucky find!
ReplyDeleteDon't you love it when the light bulb goes on? It's really beautiful and I think a perfect blend of vintage and modern.
ReplyDeleteWow, another fabulous one! You have a great sense for color and design. I just love it.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see this pretty girl all done...Wahoo!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt and wonderful journey to get there! It's a beauty.
ReplyDeleteSome pieces just need to marinate for a while. Looks like this one is perfect. I pieced one quilt over a year, BOM when I lived in the city, then I moved to the country, pop.160, and spent my evenings hand quilting it over the next year. It's my all time fav quilt that I've made.
ReplyDeleteI wish we lived close enough to "play" together. I love the way your brain works LOL! This was a wonderful story for a great quilt!
ReplyDeleteThey ALL take me years to finish! I remember those Dresdens from last year - glad to see them re-emerge.
ReplyDelete