Thursday, August 8, 2019

Too Little Time....




Two Little Things...

I have had next to No Time for Minis lately, Dear Readers, which only causes me to Dream about them even more than usual, and then the Dreams lead me to grasp at any Tiny little project which might be able to fit into the spare minutes and empty corners of my busy life, and so you can see I have Finally cut out a few more Quilt squares for Daphne and Renee's Quilt! Did you think I had Forgotten that they are making a quilt for Grandpere? I dug through my boxes of fabric and found the finest cottons with the smallest patterns and spent a pleasant hour cutting tiny one inch squares. These are mostly scraps of Liberty cottons from which my former Mother-in-law had all her dresses sewn many many years ago.

Because I was working with pieces that did not
 necessarily "go together" well, 
I laid them out in what I thought was
 the best possible arrangement
 and began to stitch the squares together.
This was going to be a very "make-shift" quilt after all!

You can see the first twelve squares are sewn on the right....
and you can see how much the size is reduced by the seams. 

It was so enjoyable to sit and stitch tiny pieces of fabric
 while visiting with my Younger son
 who has not been home in quite a few years!

Here is a view of the reverse side with the seams pressed open.

When I had assembled two sets of twelve,
 I decided to reverse the pattern when stitching them together. 
I think it looks more interesting to not repeat exactly.

Here you can see them close-up.
I am really liking how these fabrics are working together after all!
 
 
And the other little thing I got done was
 the Ten Leafy Stems for the Summer Lilac shrub.
Because I would not Dream of skipping them!
But I did not have time to begin to attach them all to the shrub.
And that was all I managed to make
 last week, Dear Readers,
Two Little things and 
Way too little Time!



16 comments:

  1. Having little mini time must not seem so tragic when the activities that take you away are so meaningful! I bet it's nice to have your son home again!
    Sewing all those little squares would take me three months, so the quantity of work is all relative! My grandma's treasured quilts were derived from clothing from the entire family, so plaid with daisy prints were expected! Yours are very pretty and cohesive!
    And you got the branches done? I'm giving you a high five right now!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jodi! It was beyond Wonderful to have him here... and not long enough. I am getting back on track now and trying to find all my things that had to move around while he was here! (My house is too small!) I am not happy just sitting around... so having something to do with my hands while discussing the nature of existence (we get very philosophical) was a must for me! And the bonus is the quilt is finally started! LOL! I have been itching to get to it for a while... we'll see how soon I get it finished! :):)

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  2. I Love you little quilt Betsy and think that using the Liberty remnants from you mother-in-law, gives you Little Project an automatic history of time gone by and
    Grandpere' will find that the labour of love quilt, will not only warm his limbs, but will also warm his heart.
    Meanwhile, Daphne and Renee' will be strengthening their relationship thready by thread and square by square, making new memories which like their quilt, will last them a lifetime! :D

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    Replies
    1. Hi Elizabeth! I have always wanted to make the Liberty scraps into a tiny quilt! It amazes me how long it takes me to get going on some of these projects I have "always" wanted to do! LOL! It will be all the more special for the memories, both ancient and current! :):)

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  3. You are the nicest lady out there… having so very little time and still stealing some time to help Daphne and Renee with their quilt project. I too can already imagine Grandpere feeling warm and cozy with his new quilt, being both warm at the out- and at the inside.

    What a wonderful project this quilt is - and using these fabrics which include not only lovely patterns but also some memories makes it extra special. I am in awe with your stitching skills once more, the squares you've already sewn look so neat and nice.

    And bravo for even keeping up with your 10-leaves-a-week-schedule - regarding your very special visitor this is for sure something to be proud of. If only I would achieve as "little" as you… ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    Replies
    1. Dear Birgit, It was such a Warm feeling for ME too, being able to sit at the table with my visiting son while I was stitching the little patches together and we were discussing all the fascinating topics (like the nature of color and the order that languages developed words for colors!) while he was looking things up on his computer and writing his essays...) It was over too soon, but we will manage. I will treasure the memories every time I look at the tiny quilt, and will think of him as I complete it! And yes, for sure, that loving warmth will overflow into Grandpere's life as Daphne and Renee bring him out of his shell! And also, the Lilac leaves may be in the background... but as a very meditative exercise, they are useful too! I am determined to finish this project........!!!! :):):)

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  4. Well done with the quilt. It's a lovely piece.

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    1. Thank you Irene! I hope I can keep on track and at least get it "done enough" to use it soon! :)

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  5. What a pretty little quilt! Lovely squares of fabric. Cheers for keeping up the weekly leaves lot.
    Hugs,
    Drora

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  6. Thank you Drora! The fabric is really lovely to work with, being so fine a cotton, it stitches easily! And I am happy with the way the patterns and colors are working together! As for the leaves... I really can't stop when I am so near the finish line!!! :):)

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  7. I love how the quilt is looking. I did the same thing when I was a kid, using scraps from my grandmother. Full size and mini size. So much fun!

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  8. Que maravillosa colcha,imagino la calidez que dará sobre una cama! Gran trabajo!!
    Besos.

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  9. I love your little quilt. The fabrics are all beautiful and come together wonderfully well. Great job on the leaves.
    Hugs Maria

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  10. The quilt looks great. Although the designs and colours are quite bold the result is not overpowering. A great selection of fabrics.

    Huibrecht

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  11. Hi, Betsy - The piecework for the quilt is a work of art! The colors and patterns work so well together, and I agree that reversing the pattern does add interest. I've made only one mini quilt, but I enjoyed the process immensely and can't wait for an opportunity to make more. I'm glad that you found time during all your busyness to complete Ten Leafy Stems! It's so wonderful that your son could visit - I know how special that time together must have been!
    Marjorie

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