Sewing doesn't always go as smoothly as planned
But what do you do?
You do a lot of unstitching.
That's what!
That's what!
Several years ago I collected a
lot of beautiful blue fabrics designed
by Laura Simpson and Polly Minick. The
collection is called Lexington, which is
a small town located
along the shores of Lake Huron, and the
a small town located
along the shores of Lake Huron, and the
accompanying pattern is called Great Lakes.
Maybe having grown
up as a Michigan kid,
1952
and spending summer vacations
and spending summer vacations
on some lake "up north"
1960
might have been why I needed to
make this pattern.
make this pattern.
It was smooth sailing at first.
I cut and trimmed hst's,
Who doesn't like seeing
a pile of trimmings, knowing that
those blocks are perfect.
My sewing was making me smile.
Blocks together. 👍👍
Center section 👍👍
Borders pieced. 👍👍
Then the fun came to
a screeching halt.
Those pieced borders
did not want to fit the center section!
I actually ended up unsewing
those borders 3 times!
Because there wasn't a coping border,
the borders needed to be EXACT!
After I got those to fit, I decided to
add another border so the quilt's outer edges
wouldn't be stretchy triangles.
a screeching halt.
Those pieced borders
did not want to fit the center section!
I actually ended up unsewing
those borders 3 times!
Because there wasn't a coping border,
the borders needed to be EXACT!
After I got those to fit, I decided to
add another border so the quilt's outer edges
wouldn't be stretchy triangles.
Do you think those
6" borders cooperated?
No,
more unsewing!
Some days are for sewing and
some are not,
but I'm happy to say
the top is finished,
it lays flat,
and is a rectangle.
All major accomplishments.
It's been a long time since I've
been back to enjoyed those lakes.
I actually have a trip planned for
the beginning of June, but
that might have to be rescheduled.
But whenever it happens,
it will feel great to dig my toes
into the sand and remember some
wonderful family times.
Until Next Time-
Kyle
It was definitely worth the resewing you had to do, it's a beautiful quilt top. I guess that is a large part of the reason why so many of us quilters have multiple projects simmering at the same time, it's so nice to be able to put the problem child in the corner until it decides to behave itself again!
ReplyDeleteIt's perfect! Another wonderful top!
ReplyDeleteOh boy! I'm glad you didn't throw in the towel and kept at it, Kyle. It's a beautiful quilt. I hope you are able to make your trip the beginning of June. Something truly healing about putting your toes in the sand :)
ReplyDeleteOh I really love this quilt. I miss visiting the lakes with the stay at home order. I changed the photo on m header to a photo of a favorite spot on Lake Superior. Your quilt reminds me of it. Hugs
ReplyDeleteYeah that's the problem with pieced borders, especially when there are so many bias edges involved. It helps ( if you think about it ahead of time) to construct the border in segments, and measure each segment as you go along. Do I do this? Ha ha, usually not! You did a great job making it right, and its gorgeous. I've been eyeballing this quilt for awhile, but I don't think I'll attempt it. I've never been to the Great Lakes. I hope you make it there this summer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful quilt top! The blues are beautiful! How frustrating to have to unpick and redo that much but such a lovely end result. I love the pictures from when you were little. I too have lots of fun memories from camping around the Great Lakes when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteI like your quilt a lot, and it must be very satisfying for you after all that re-work. Funny, I also grew up in Michigan (Birmingham) and spent many summers on Mullet Lake.
ReplyDeleteThat is someplace I have always wanted to see! Unsewing is my least favorite thing, but your results show your hard work. It looks perfect.
ReplyDeleteStellar job. yes it is worth unsewing to get it to line up. The visual on your border to blocks is spot on. I love this!
ReplyDeleteIt turned out wonderful and I love the story behind it. Your persistence paid off.
ReplyDeleteI love those photos!! I like how grandpa is wearing slacks to the beach :)
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't love a classic blue and white quilt and such beautiful blue fabrics. How annoying to have to unpick the border twice! Your persistence is Nobel Prize worthy LOL!
ReplyDeleteKyle maravilloso edredón ¡me encanta tu trabajo!
ReplyDeletepreciosas fotos
saludos
Beautiful! I presently live in another Lexington, Oregon in fact. Maybe I should use a bunch of my 1800's blues and make one of those quilts too.
ReplyDeleteI did not know you had lived in Michigan as a child. I learned something new about you.
ReplyDeleteOh my, what fun un-sewing. Maybe a coping strip between would have een my solution to getting things to fit. Such a nice finish. I think adding a border was a good idea. There might have been a lot of stretching in the quilting process had you not done that.
Oh your blue quilt top is beautiful, and all the more special being attached to memories. Your childhood photos are as charming as can possibly be! Hope you can dig your toes in the sand sooner rather than later. Nothing is more soothing than the sound of waves on the shore.
ReplyDeleteDespite all the frustration, it ended up a lovely quilt. And the memories of your years in Michigan make this an extra special quilt. I love a blue/white quilt.
ReplyDeleteI hope it is safe for you to travel back soon!
That is beautiful! I have been eyeing that quilt for a long time .... maybe now I have to do something about it! Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteYou are a brave one! I would simply have added the plain border and dumped the other in the UFO pile. I am so happy you are braver than me because it came out beautifully. I hope you get your trip soon. We all need a little trip down memory lane these days. Stay safe and healthy!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt! Sometimes you just have to listen to the quilt.....and the quilt said it needed another border! :-) Something tells me that with all of the wonderful memories, this quilt will get used a lot. And, quilts that get used a lot need to have a strong edge.
ReplyDeleteMy family vacationed lakeside for quite a few years as well. A few years waaaaaay up northeastern Maine....followed by northeastern Vermont. Time spent in a cabin by the lake is time VERY well spent... Enjoy your visit when you do get it rescheduled!
Pretty choices of various blue fabrics. Coping border is a brilliant idea and frames the quilt perfectly. Lexington will look very nice quilted. Hopefully by June, some of Michigan’s restrictions will be safely lifted and less restricted. If your long-awaited trip is rescheduled for later in the summer, the lake waters will be warmer for your tootsies - a good thing! Love your photo! Looks you were at one of the great lakes. They are all beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour patience with finishing the Great Lakes quilt sure turned out well - the blues shine and I bet they are filled with memories. We all wish to have a vacation but who knows when that will be? Our journey takes us to the opposite lake - Lake Superior and the North Shore and we also have booked trips there - taking a wait and see...Wisconsin and Minnesota are in limbo too. Would prefer to err on the side of caution though rather than jumping in to quickly. With this new arrival of cold Arctic air up here, those lake waters would be even more frigid!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, persevering to the end! Looks so good. I do love a wonderfully pieced border. Some days I have to wonder if I even know how to sew. Everything goes wrong, even my hand quilting.:)
ReplyDeleteWow - my hat is off to you for sticking with all those stretchy triangles! Beautiful finish! All those blues make for a soothing and serene quilt. I have a stash of Lexington fabric as well, but no concrete plans for what it will become.
ReplyDeleteI love your Quilt and the Great Lakes. Growing up around Chicago I have spent so much time on the lake and surround beaches and parks.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful collection of beautiful blue fabrics.
Your expert piecing really shows in this quilt. It is perfect.
I hope your trip will be possible soon. Can you fly at all between States?
ReplyDeleteThe quilt is beautiful, it must be special now that it has cost you so much affort to make, a Minnick fabric always pretty.
Thankfully it all came good in the end. It is so frustrating when you know you have followed the instructions, but it doesn't want to work.
ReplyDeleteYou have finished with a wonderful quilt top which looks lovely.
After all that frustration and re-sewing, your quilt is lovely and that border fabric is a perfect match! So many memories, too! Love your childhood pics :) Bet you can't wait to dig your feet in the sand again--hopefully, it'll be this summer!
ReplyDeleteSometimes those pieced borders just do not want to cooperate! I'm glad you persevered because you have a beautiful quilt in the end. I have a pretty big collection of those fabrics and have yet to decide how to use them. It will be so great if we can continue with our summer plans--fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteWell done for persevering! It looks great - so cool and inviting. Hope you get to enjoy the real thing soon.
ReplyDelete