Thursday, January 22, 2009

Do Overs

I remember playing kickball on the playground at recess and coming up to the plate with such anticipation, ready to kick that home run ball. The pitch rolled toward me and "whoosh!" my foot hit nothing but air. I shouted, "do over!", and the game was new again. The muffed kick quickly forgotten and I had a fresh chance to make my mark on the game.

I rarely kicked that home run ball, but I do love a 'do over'. I think life should be filled with 'do overs' for kids and adults...imagine looking at your teenager after that inevitable misunderstanding and requesting a do over. It's all about learning from experience and not wanting to repeat something that you're not satisfied with.

This post is in the spirit of 'do overs'. First, Bloom is finished. After ripping out two different tries of free motion quilting I think I've finally found something that works. I tried free motion flowers (too busy, not well done), and I tried echo quilting (I got lost in the echoes and couldn't seem to fill the white space effectively.) With Victoria's encouragement I explored the stitches on my mom's machine and did this. It provides texture for the white space without distracting from the composition. It took practice, and a little more ripping, but it was worth it. Thanks for sharing your idea, Victoria. I can't wait to hang it on the wall.

Here's another 'do over.' I took the quilting out of this little doll quilt. I didn't like the loops or the black thread. This time I did a fractured pattern with white thread. It has a much more edgy feel. I even changed the binding. I like how the black binding completes the shapes instead of cutting them off. I know it's only a doll quilt, but it was worth it to me.
These are my blocks for Tracy. It's her month in the Sew Connected Virtual Quilting Bee. Tracy sent some beautiful fabrics, linen, silks, metallics and beautiful prints and stripes. I'm so glad she sent an abundance of fabrics. I had to 'do over' too many times to mention. I had to add some of my fabrics because I literally used hers up in all of my attempts.These are the two blocks that are the right size and that I'm pleased with. I hope she likes one of them.

Nice to know that even a president and a supreme court justice need a 'do over' every once an awhile. A good model for the country.

67 comments:

Unknown said...

Love love your quilting do-overs! It's great that the creative process is so forgiving, letting us learn as we go :)
I was thinking of you last evening - hope you are doing well.

Lisa said...

I LOVE the bottom one with the flowers in the center. That's georgeous!
I also really like the quilting you did. That is a stitch built into the machine? Very cool.

Two Dogs and a Quilt said...

"bloom" looks fantastic! love the quilting.

Unknown said...

What beautiful quilting! I love it. I will have to remember to try something like that next time I actually finish a quilt. Love the blocks. I gasped when I saw the one with the flowers in the center. You did a great job showcasing that fabric!

connie said...

I love your do-overs. You have been very productive. I think all of your changes made the pieces better. Can you tell me what echo quilting is?

Melanie O said...

Wow - I LOVE the quilting on Bloom! It turned out beautifully!

Patty said...

The bloom quilt looks wonderful; I love how the quilting stands out so well! It looks like you planned it that way from the beginning.

Anina said...

Everything turned out just lovely! Sometimes do-overs are worth it.

Anonymous said...

Just beautiful. The Bloom quilt looks absolutely amazing. I'm going to have to see if I have that stitch and try and do quilting like that on a baby quilt or something - it's fantastic!

jacquie said...

connie,
echo quilting is sewing around a shape to "echo" it in the lines. for example, i started sewing around the vase about 1/2" away and made the shape of the vase and then another line another 1/2" away. i've seen it done on applique quilts and it's beautiful...didn't work for me on this one.

Cami said...

I love the quilting on your bloom quilt, actually i love it on all of your quilts. But that stitch is perfect for that quilt. Great job. I always need quite a few "do overs".

bonnie said...

WOW-your bloom quilt is fantastic. the quilting looks good, and your blocks look very nice.

Nanette Merrill said...

I love the wiggly lines in the quilting. So smart! I may have to copy that - with your permission. I hadn't considered an option like that. Love it. I would probably get "off on my spacing though. I can't believe how even it looks. Do overs are great. I need a body do over and a do over for some of my life.

Nanette Merrill said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jackie Russell said...

Love the quilting on Bloom. The blocks are great too!

Levin said...

i love the block with the greens and brown - great colours and fabrics.
i think the stitching on bloom looks fantastic - it really brings it all together.
l
x

Meagan said...

Jacquie, those last two blocks are both GORGEOUS, but so completely different. Sometimes I fear what quilting will do to blocks that I see that are so lovely, but then you go and post your bloom quilt, and I think the quilting MADE the piece.

shellysquilts said...

Jacqui, It's GORGEOUS! Well done! Sorry the free-motion didn't work out, but you obviously found something that did!!! Yipee!

MichelleB said...

I love the bloom stitching! Can you share what stitch that you used on the Bloom quilt? I loved Victoria's stitching too. Your blocks look great!

Kerri said...

i love, love, love your "bloom" wall hanging. i love how you quilted it too!! thank goodness for do-overs!! :) thanks for sharing!

Amy said...

That quilting is really different. So you used a pre-programmed stitch with a walking foot - or a darning foot? It looks fantastic!

Anonymous said...

I love the quilting that you decided to do on both quilts, and the blocks are beautiful. Yay for do overs! :~)

nettie said...

I love the quilting on your first quilt! it's perfect...the 2nd one is pretty perfect too!

Julie said...

Wow!!!
Loving your "BLOOM" quilt what a great idea for the quilting.
I also love your doll quilt.
great work
julie

Abby and Stephanie said...

Bloom is gorgeous! Love the background stitch. Perfect.

Lurline said...

Well done, Jacquie - love the way the Bloom quilt turned out - you have certainly mastered it!
Hugs - Lurline♥

Anonymous said...

I think that scalloped quilting turned out just right! And you are absolutely right everyone needs "do overs" sometimes. Well some of us *holding my hand in the air* take more do overs than the rest of us......
Loved your heart quilt too, and so glad you got to spend time with your boys!

abcgirl said...

i love the quilting on your black and white small quilt. it echoes the "jacks" shapes just perfectly!

Unknown said...

All your "do overs" are fantastic! The quilting really does enhance both quilts. The blocks are great too. I always buy extra fabric, you just never know.

Needled Mom said...

Yes....isn't it nice to know that no one is perfect and we can all do over some mistakes. I love yours!

Shari said...

We all have do-overs. Perseverance is such a good character trait! You should be well pleased with your efforts and everything turned out great! Love the green blocks especially...

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

It is so easy to overthink the quilting when something so simple looks so great. I have been guilty of big ideas that needed to be ripped too.

I was really happy to hear of the presidential redo. I was a little worried about the wrong words and what might happen down the road legally.

Amanda Jean said...

your bloom quilting is fantastic! i love that pattern of quilting. i loved it on Victoria's quilt as well.

Beth said...

ACK! I love the quilting -- it looks like rickrack!!

Anonymous said...

Love the do-over theme! I'll have to keep it in mind as I've been more of a give-up, forget about it and move on type. That quilting is so spectacular--I MUST find that stitch on my machine. I've been drooling since I saw Victoria's stitching. Wonderful stuff!!

Mel said...

I love 'Bloom' soooooooo much!! I would love to make one for my studio, would that be ok?

Dawn W said...

I love your flower quilt, and the ric rac style of quilting - was it hard? Looks tricky - very nice!

Helen said...

Love your Bloom mini quilt/hanging. Stunning, stunning!!!! Ahhh, love to have applied the "do over" in my youth, many, many, many a time!

Victoria said...

Jacquie, so thrilled to see that the stitching worked! It looks beautiful! Great job!

Also, love the idea of doing a do-over with our teenagers... wouldn't that be the best gift ever? If only this as an option!

Busy Little Quilter said...

I quilt baby quilts that I need in a hurry much like the first quilt you showed. However, I also do it horizontally. I wouldn't do it on a white quilt, but for one that is colorful and busy, it works great. Yours is gorgeous.

I love your post. Yes, it is nice to be able to say "do over" and you can do it over. I would love to have some "do over's", too.

Cheryl Arkison said...

The do-over on your doll quilt is fantastic! Proves that we shouldn't be afraid of the work.

Marie' said...

That new quilting you did work! What a great idea.

Karen said...

"Bloom" is just bloomin' gorgeous;) Life, in my opinion, is full of "do overs". I know of no one that gets everything right the first time...thank goodness for do overs;) I LOVE the green flower print (bottom picture)!

MightyMom said...

what i love about sewing. the doll quilt! different binding, different quilting and the whole thing looks totally different. very cool! I just love "one piece quilts" for this very reason. every piece in the quilt is exactly the same...what makes the design is the fabric picked!! :-)

the bloom quilting if fabulous, how did you make it so even? Did you trace it out first??

Anonymous said...

I love the quilting in Bloom. It's the perfect compliment to the piece. I admire your perseverance for "do overs". I admit I sometimes get frustrated with those projects and give up.

Rebekah said...

I love your new quilting patterns...especially the parallel curves...amazing!

Unknown said...

I love how the bloom quilt turned out. Beautiful.

Alissa said...

I do love that wavy quilting!! I need to give it a shot some day if I can ever tear myself way from stippling!

Wendy said...

The quilting on "Bloom" is perfect. I'm going to have to play with more of the stitches on my machine.

My word verification was "remede" - fitting for a post where you had to rip out a bunch of stitches to get to the right solution.

audreypawdrey said...

Beautiful work! I love the stitching on the bloom quilt. It is neat that you used your machine for that!

The blocks are gorgeous. You did a fabulous job highlighting the beautiful fabric you received.

Anonymous said...

I love the way your improv quilt turned out - the fabrics and colors are great, as is the quilting (I wish my machine had that stitch!)

Beautiful blocks too!

Jennifer said...

Revision is a part of every composition, not just written ones!

Rose said...

Bloom was free motion qiulted?! Do you have a long arm machine?? I am terrified to try free motion (I purchased the foot for my regular sewing machine.) I don't want to spend all that time cutting and piecing to ruin it with a terrible free motion boo boo! congrats on your persistence!

Carol E. said...

Oh, yes! That 3rd attempt was the charm! The quilting looks great and perfect for the quilt design. Hooray for do-overs! (but not for all the ripping - bless your poor little fingers)

maria clara said...

Jacquie , admiro tus trabajos son preciosos !! saludos desde argentina !

Janis said...

Lovely blocks and a lovely refreshing concept. I like "do over".

ellen said...

Do Overs...Eevie Ivey Over.
What I love about you...not only what you create (and many other things) is your determination to make it what you want it to be. I cannot comment with experience like all of these wonderful quilters do...
I can and do and will just stand in amazement and in gratitude that I am able to see the wonderful things you make. C'est magnifique ...(sp?)
I love all of this...and, just in case you were curious..I was a kick ass player, I could hit a home run in Sky Inning and kick ball.
Happy weekend.. Whew!

Vicki W said...

Wow, I just love the quilting on bloom - it's perfect!

Sew Create It - Jane said...

Your do-over quilting is perfect. Very effective!

I am Arizona; a person, not a place. said...

I love Bloom! The quilting pattern suits it perfectly; it really compliments the pieced design...its softer than straight lines (are straight lines ever soft? lol!), but not overly complicated like stippling. Very cool.

Danielle said...

I love your work. It's nice to know it doesn't happen right the first time every time. It can be so discouraging to take a step backward, I'm learning to see it as a chance to explore other ways of doing things, but teaching an old dog new tricks is slow work.

Anonymous said...

Jacquie, your quilting is just perfect.,.. you have such patience!! Lx

Unknown said...

I love what you do, your generosity with sharing your skills and your boundless talents!

Therefore, I have given you an award on my blog. I hope you will accept it and pass it along as anyone receiving it from you would surely be quite pleased!
~Emily

Liz said...

I love the quilting on that bloom quilt!

Anonymous said...

I echo the sentiments already expressed: the quilting on the bloom quilt just really "makes the quilt"! It's beautiful and it makes me want to make one myself! (and get a bernina :P)

Sharon said...

Wow, I'm so impressed with your sense of design! Spare and elegant, but "enough".

The quilting on your black doll quilt is *perfect*. And the quilting on "Bloom" is just right also. I really like both of those. Great job!

I like your blocks too. The green fabric in the center of the 2nd block is very striking. I like that you featured it. I'm sure she'll love both of them!

I also think "do-over"s are a great idea!

Sara said...

There are some days where I consider every moment a 'do-over'. Basically, a 'do-over' for me is a chance to make a better decision. Yea, you ate that piece of choclate so now go eat some carrots or run in place while the microwave is warming your lunch!

By the by - I gave you an award....head to my blog to claim it (www.itsjustonemore.blogspot.com)
Sara