Frustrations

FRUSTRATIONS with a capital "F". Everywhere I turn this week, I find nothing is quite as I want it to be. I took this quilt off the machine this morning. It was like quilting blind. The quilt is lovely blue fabrics. Not my taste, but tasteful. At the dropoff, I discussed the merits of using a non blue thread with the client, but in the end she chose blue. It does not show at all.

Fortunately, now that it is off the machine, there is a little texture to see. I was worried there too, since she gave me a very thin batting. She asked for a "happy" edge-to-edge. Hope I came somewhat close. It's not like I have a drawer of "dismally sad" options.

I showed an applique design I was playing with last time -- something to use up my bright batiks. For some reason, I am having a hard time commiting. I used to be able to just cut and sew without barely a thought. I spent time yesterday playing with a fun pieced design for the same fabrics. I like it a lot. Just wonder what to do to make it "mine", and not just another feathered star quilt. That is one good thing with my applique concept.
Then logic got the better of me. In my hunt for more batik fabrics, I came across the beginnings of this quilt. It is actually a trilogy of small quilts, made from the same fabrics, but in different patterns, intended one day to be a gift for each of my 3 kids. So there is the sentimental thing there which is getting in the way of me just kicking that bag of batiks out to pasture. Anyhow, I decided it would be way better to at the very least, get the pile of storm at sea blocks assembled into a top. This did require making the 2-1/2" squares, but not too many of them. Seems doable for a couple afternoons. Optimistically, I set out in this seemingly simple adventure...

I had 4 pieces that were initially pieced in black, that needed to be yellow. Couldn't find the yellow I used, so I had to remove all 8 and redo them. This wasted an hour because I redid each at least 3 times! When, I ask, did I become such a slob of a piecer?? I put 2 rows of the storm at sea blocks together, and am mortified at how sloppy the piecing is. Mortified. The points of the diamonds don't meet up properly. The yellow triangles go too far.

There shouldn't be black at the ends of the colored diamonds. It's the work of part-time, half-blind quilter-wanna-be. I hate to give up, but seriously, if this project is to come to fruition, it's going to mean I come of another piecing scheme and start over. It's considered "out to pasture at the moment. Ther's no way I will leave my children sloppy quilts to remember their mother "the quilter" by.