Random Quilting Photos

In an effort to forget the fact that I am moving in 9 days and currently have no one to help us load or unload our U-Haul trailer due to the fact that we have no friends post-jobquitting and the friends we do have are moving to our house so they obviously can't help because they're moving too, I'm looking at photos of things I've made and pretending it all isn't happening.

Sorry for the long sentence. It is just one example of how my brain is spinning. How frustrating is it that no one will help us? Are we mean people? Are we not likable? What's the deal?

Anyway, back at Christmas-time I was trying my hand at actually quilting something before quilting my brother's quilt. I had never actually quilted something before, so I was nervous. I had some Christmas fabric, so I decided to make a table runner for next year. It matches our tree skirt, which isn't really important, just frustrating that the pattern called for this much extra fabric. I hate when patterns have you buy excess fabric. who has money to buy extra fabric and then have it sit around in the closet? But I digress.

This is a picture of the table runner post-quilting. I used red thread and did a pretty good job. There are a few places with interesting fits and turns, but mostly it was a good first try. I'm hoping by next Christmas it will have binding. Only time will tell.

This is the quilt I made for my brother, basted with safety pins and ready to begin quilting. Quite honestly, it was a very scary time for me. I really didn't want to ruin all my work! Getting good quilt fabrics is quite expensive. But cheap fabrics from mass stores have almost twice as many chemicals in their dyes and who wants that to sleep under?? Not me. Cheap fabrics also stretch and tear quite easily and don't wash well. So, I buy expensive fabric or no fabric. With fabric for front and back plus natural cotton batting, quilts are pricey. I love them, but if you include time, this little baby is worth a pretty penny. And I was going to stitch all over it. It was freaky, but I survived. I stabbed myself through the finger twice with the needle and my stitches were way too small, but overall it was a success.
This is the finished product, with black binding, after my brother opened it. You obviously can't see the stitching and it definitely is far from perfect, but you can't tell from 5 feet away, so it is fine.
The label. I've started to label. I'm quite proud of myself because I think it is important to put names and dates for posterity. What if, in 25 years, my brother's kids want to know who made the crazy quilt in the closet?
And this, this is the product of 143 string blocks. Purple vomit, I like to call it. This is what happens when you have a couple that is VERY picky about colors, only wants certain ones, and you try your best. I don't like it. Everyone else thinks it is fine. It might just be the whole 143 blocks thing holding me back.
What do you think? Hideous? The top is now all sewn together, as is the back. I'm hoping the quilting will help tone it down so you can actually see the purple stripes running through the center of each block. If not, this is what they get anyway. After 2 years of pulling my hair out, this is it. I'm pretty frightened to quilt this one because it is a large queen. But I will quilt it, because quilting it myself saves 200 dollars. And who has an extra $200? Not me.

So, my friends, that is some recent quilting stuff. Pray that we find people who are willing to help us load our trailer. It is frustrating to feel like no one likes us or wants to serve us. Especially when our friends who are moving keep proclaiming how great it is that everyone is helping them. It makes one feel a bit depressed and question the reason they are staying in this forsaken land apart from people who love me.

But that's probably just the tired and stressed talking. I hope.