Nearly Insane Quilt - resurrected

Red and White Scraps left over from my Nearly Insane quilt

These two jars of scraps have been looking at me since I finished my Nearly Insane quilt top back in July 2015. This holiday weekend I decided to sort them out and make them into their own fabric.

New fabric made from the white scraps

The white scraps made this pretty piece which measures about 15" x 15"

New fabric made from the red scraps

For some reason the red scraps were bigger and ended up making a piece which was 25" x 22".  No plans for them yet - I may combine them, I may leave the red one as it is.  This project has reminded me of other 'bags of treasure' I have squirrelled away, which I was going to do something with one day.  Maybe the one day is very near.

New fabric made from the red and white scraps

There are some pieces which are too small for even me to tackle, along with trimmings.  These bits are not thrown away.  I have a large bag of  small scraps which I fill up and take to the local charity shops where I believe they can recycle them into 'shoddy' felt.

Fabric trimmings for recycling

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 38 Four Winds

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 38 Four Winds

Back in the day when I was working on my Nearly Insane quilt, I had worked out that on a 6" block, 100 pieces was just about right to keep it interesting and enough of a challenge. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 38 Four Winds.  This block has at least 50 pieces in it  but is only 4" square. It has kept me quiet for several days.

Suzi the cat on the window sill

Meanwhile, there is no rest for the wicked.  Suzi has had to abandon the comfort of her bed for a permanent station on the window sill. The pigeons just won't let up.

Nearly Insane Quilt

Suzi the cat helping with the Nearly Insane Quilt

My Nearly Insane quilt is in the middle of its tour of the USA, having just stopped off at Santa Clara.  Lovely to hear from those of you who have been to see it and a special shout out to Molly from Suzi.  I don't think the notice on the quilt mentions that the whole affair was a joint effort.  I think that this photo is evidence of what a great help Suzi was when I spent 7 days removing the English paper pieces back in March 2015.

World Quilt Show - Pacific International Quilt Festival XXVII , Santa Clara

In progress - Nearly Insane Quilt

Just a reminder that if you are heading to Santa Clara this weekend, my Nearly Insane Quilt will be on display as part of the World Quilt Show.

Pacific International Quilt Festival XXVII
Thursday 11th October - Sunday 14th October 2018

5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 18 A Century of Progress

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 
Block 18 A Century of Progress

I have been away on a training course this weekend and in the pockets of down time I managed to complete a few Farmer's Wife blocks.  This one, Block 18, A Century of Progress, is looking suspiciously red and white and as if it ought to be in the Nearly Insane quilt.

Suzi the cat

And for all of those who are looking for their daily cat fix, here is Suzi the cat enjoying the February sun.

Great Northern Quilt Show 2016 - Nearly Insane quilt wins Overall Champion

Frances Meredith 'Nearly Insane' quilt
Overall Champion Great Northern Show 2016

It's been an eventful weekend.
Last Thursday I was busy quilting a quilt for a customer when I had a message from the Great Northern Quilt Show in Harrogate to say that my Nearly Insane quilt had won Overall Champion in their 2016 show! A quick change of plans for the weekend and I was heading up to Harrogate for the Prize-giving presentations. 

Frances Meredith 'Nearly Insane' quilt
Overall Champion Great Northern Show 2016

It wasn't until I got to the show that I realised that I had not only won Overall Champion, but also first in the Bed Quilt category and the Longarm machine Quilting award, along with a Judge's Choice certificate from Merrilyn Orr of Kaleidoscope Books.  You can see here all the goodies I have come home with including three lovely rosettes, two shields, and a Pfaff sewing machine donated by Direct Sew and Knit in Sheffield.

The other good news is that my kind husband drove me up to Harrogate, so I was able to press on with some Dear Jane stitching as we went along and two more blocks have been completed.

2016 Festival of Quilts - Nearly Insane Quilt by Frances Meredith

Nearly Insane Quilt, Frances Meredith 2016

It is almost a year since I showed you my completed Nearly Insane quilt top, so I thought it was time for an update.  You may be able to see from the photo that it is now quilted, bound and ready for a trip out.

If you are heading to the 2016 Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, UK, 11th-14th August, my Nearly Insane Quilt will be hanging amongst the Traditional Quilts, No: 564. 

Enjoy!

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 32 - D8, G8, K11, K13 - featuring the Butterfly Quilt



Wash Day - Butterfly Quilt

Despite the predicted rain, this Bank Holiday weekend has turned out quite pleasant.  An ideal day to get a large quilt washed and dried.  This is my Butterfly Quilt.  This is the first epic quilt I ever hand stitched and hand quilted and is the quilt which is on the bed for most of the winter.  The details can be found in one of my early posts.

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 31 - Border Triangles LR6, LR8, RR6, RR8

It is Slow Stitching Sunday over at Kathy's Quilts.  I am still working on the Nearly Insane quilt on my long arm machine.  If 'slow' means not going fast enough, then yes, I am doing slow stitching. Like Kathy I have a chart marking off my progress and I am enjoying crossing each square off.

So this post is a bit of past, present and future.  An old quit, one approaching a finish once quilted and the ongoing development of the Dear Jane blocks which will one day be a completed quilt.  Draw 32 is back to square Dear Jane blocks, but we are sticking with Yellow.

Draw 32
D8 - Dee Dee's Delight
G8 - Justin's Comet
K11 - Columbine
K13 - Brandon's Star

This draw will be in Yellow
 

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G-10 Woven Meadow

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G-10 Woven Meadow

I think this quilt block pops up in all the various sampler quilts.  It is called G10 Woven Meadow in this quilt, but is also known as Chimney Sweep or Album block.  It was one of the early blocks I did for my Nearly Insane quilt, but even though it was a bigger block it had ten less pieces than this one which is just 4.5".

I am using an orange fabric from Kim Diehl's Hearthside Seasons range in this block.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 39

Nearly Insane Quilt (Salinda Rupp Quilt) - August 2015 Update

'Nearly Insane' Quilt - August 2015

Well here it is.  The Nearly Insane Quilt in all its glory.  Once I started those Dear Jane blocks I knew they would be difficult to put down, so I put them aside and made sure that this weekend was a Nearly Insane Quilt finishing weekend.  I actually finished all the blocks, sashing and cornerstones last August (2014) and got them all together last November.  

Tour de France - July 2015

The last stretch was the hardest.  The border really tested my resilience, but I set myself a target and it was finally completed and stitched onto the quilt on 26th July 2015 - the final day of the Tour de France as the cyclists were cycling up the Champs-Élysées in Paris.  The removal of the papers took longer than anticipated (doesn't everything ...) and I estimate that it took me about 7 WHOLE days. The final pieces were taken out yesterday.

'Nearly Insane' Quilt - Detail

Now it is done, I am delighted with it.  It looks really lovely now all the tacking thread has been removed.  Without the paper it is also much lighter!  Would I use English Paper Piecing again? Yes, I think this quilt done on a machine would have really driven me insane, some of the pieces are really tiny.  Perhaps I would have removed the papers as I went along ... 


'Nearly Insane' Quilt - reverse

I have recently purchased a photographers studio stand to display quilts from, which you can see in the top photo. I took this photo from behind the quilt with the light flooding through which makes it look like stained glass. The real joy of this quilt is that I am looking at the blocks and remembering all the different places around the world where I stitched my portable sewing project (France, Switzerland, USA, Buckingham Palace!), so it has a lot of good memories. If you are just visiting my blog for the first time you can go back to February 2013, where my journey started. I cover every block, using Electric Quilt software and you will see what a great contribution Suzi the cat made along the way.

I guess the next question is 'How am I going to quilt it?'  If you pop over here, you might just get a clue.

Joining up with Connie at Freemotion by the River. and Crazy Mom Quilts.

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

For the past few months I have been a bit late completing my BOM, but this month The Quilt Room were slightly delayed themselves, only posting the details of the Miniature Block of the Month for July yesterday.  Today I have had a bit of time to get it done and it came together quite easily.

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

I find flying geese blocks quite easy with the foundation method, but  it doesn't look as if I have been very generous with the seam allowance at the edges of this one.


Nearly Insane Quilt borders, with Suzi the cat

Meanwhile, progress is being made on the Nearly Insane Quilt borders.  They are all together and I am slowly applying them to the main quilt.  This Nearly Insane progress is due to the 2015 Tour de France.  I love to relax and stitch, whilst I watch the cyclists work up a sweat in the French countryside.  I might be 'nearly insane', but those cyclist have to be 'completely insane' to endure 3 weeks of relentless cycling. 

As you can see all that effort on their part has completely exhausted Suzi the cat.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Update #5 June 2015



Nearly Insane Quilt - Electric Quilt image

It is a while since I mentioned anything about my Nearly Insane quilt progress, so I thought a post on the blog would set me into action.  I have taken this image from my Electric Quilt software to show the final layout, and this image is now on my sidebar.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Zig Zag border

I am pleased to say that I have pieced together all the zig zags required in the border.  From my last post you will have read about the false starts I had with this.  I think they contributed to a lack of motivation I had for the border, which is why they have taken such a long time.  Do you ever suffer from lack of interest in your quilt borders?  I had hoped to keep up with this whilst I was completing the blocks, which I did until there was a change of plan. Anyway, they are together, I just need to insert a cream border and either side of the zig zag and then the top is truly finished. That is all I need to do ...


English Paper Piecing - removing the paper

I am still removing the paper from the English Paper Piecing and there are large areas of the quilt which are looking revitalised without the tacking stitches showing through. At the final count there were 6032 pieces in the quilt - all those 6032 templates are in the process of coming out.

Suzi the cat helping with the quilt borders

With all the supportive help I get from Suzi the cat, I expect there are 6032 cat hairs to remove as well....

Nearly Insane Quilt - Update #4 March 2015



Removing English Paper Piecing templates

I expect some of you may be wondering what progress I am making with the Nearly Insane quilt.  As you can see here, I have had a go at removing the papers.  The tiny bits hidden under the seams have required the patience and precision of removing a splinter from a finger, but gradually progress is being made.  Suzi the cat knows it is going to be a long job, but is joining me for the long haul.


Suzi the cat offers moral support with the paper removal

Another dilemma that I have been dealing with is the border.  The original design has a zig zag border.  I don't think it is the most attractive edging, but in the spirit of keeping to the original I intend to put a zig zag border around my Nearly Insane quilt.  When I saw the Dear Jane exhibition in France, I noticed how the quilts without the original full scalloped border didn't look quite 'finished', and that has stuck with me.  Maybe I will do something different on my next Nearly Insane quilt ...

Nearly Insane Quilt - Solid Red Zig Zag Border

You may have noticed in some of my early 'reveals' that I showed the developing red zig zag border.  I had done almost one and half sides by the time the rest of the quilt was together, but when laid against it, it just looked TOO bold.


Nearly Insane Quilt - Red with White Zig Zag Border

So I started again, using some of my red with white fabrics for the zig zag.  Again, I had done nearly a side and it just looked wrong.  It looked TOO big.


Nearly Insane Quilt - Small Red with White Zig Zag Border

So having stitched over two sides of the border I then decided to actually read the instructions in the book and make the zig zag the smaller size that was suggested ....

We live. We learn.

I think is eligible for Slow Stitching Sunday ...

 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Update #3 November

Nearly Insane Quilt - November 2014 update

It's hard to believe you can be exhausted from sitting hand stitching all day, but last night as I made the last few stitches to get my Nearly Insane quilt blocks together all I could think about was going to bed.  The construction of this has taken longer than anticipated, but as you will see from the picture all the blocks, sashing and cornerstones are together.  If you look back a few posts you may also be able to play 'spot the difference', as several of the blocks have been changed partially or completely.


English Paper Piecing - Nearly Insane Quilt

All the paper is still in and I imagine it will probably take me three months to remove all that!


Nearly Insane Quilt - November 2014 update


When I started this project I now realise I partly imagined that once I had reached this stage it would be done, but todays project is to start get the borders together and there is still quite a journey to go.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Update #2 September 2014

Nearly Insane Quilt Construction - September 2014

I thought it was time I gave you a bit of an update on the Nearly Insane Quilt.  Another row has been added, but otherwise construction progress is slow.  The reason for this is that I have been re-doing some of the blocks - some completely from the start, others pulled apart and changed.  Having done so many different blocks, I have learnt a lot along the way. You can see some below.  The original is on the left, the revised block on the right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am also in the process of re-doing Block 43.  You may remember that this block was the most difficult one.  Having done similar blocks I think I have worked out why I was having so many problems and why it was so wavy.  It is bang centre in the quilt, so it is SLOWLY being redone.

 

 

Constructing the Nearly Insane Quilt - Update #1

 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Construction

I have been working on a few different projects lately so I just wanted you all to know that the Nearly Insane Quilt has not been forgotten.  This is the progress so far in terms of putting it together. I love the look as each row gets added, but it takes a long time when you are hand sewing.  What I have done so far seems to be just a drop in the ocean for this stage.


Nearly Insane Quilt (reverse) - English Paper Piecing


I thought I would show you a picture of the back.  Yes, all the English paper pieces are still in which is allowing me to keep it dead straight and dead flat.  Until the moment when it is ready to be quilted I am really reluctant to remove the paper, the bias on this quilt is CRAZY!

The stitching on this is SO slow that I am almost a day late for Slow Stitching Sunday  but right on time for Deign Wall Monday.

August 2014 - Nearly Insane Quilt Update

Nearly Insane Quilt - All blocks complete!

As promised, here is the latest photo of my red and white Nearly Insane quilt laid out with all the blocks in their official place, along with all the sashing and cornerstones complete.  I am aware that from this photo, in internet land, it looks complete.  It is not.  I have to sew it together, I need to complete the zig zag border, I need to sew on the borders.  Then I need to quilt it ...


Nearly Insane Quilt - Red and White

In this picture you can see 422 blocks (including the sashing and cornerstones) and to lay it out accurately actually takes quite a long time.  This is perhaps the biggest motivation to get it sewn together - I can't wait to have it one piece. When I started laying it out the weather was overcast which I have found the best light for taking photos.  However, by the time it was laid out, the sun had come out and was beaming through the skylights above, making an uneven light for photography.  It lay on the floor for most of the afternoon until the light was right, without any cat interruptions.


Nearly Insane Quilt - Electric Quilt Plan

The Electric Quilt layout has been updated on the side bar.  Here you can see more clearly my progress on the zig zag border.  Even though those bits are not complete, it is reassuring to still have some hand stitching over the next few weeks.


With so many blocks it is difficult not to have a few favourites.  Here are a selection of mine, Blocks 8, 9, 16, 24, 37, 75.  As I have said all the way through, the ones with the most pieces have allowed more creativity in the design, and are like mini quilts in themselves.  Although all the blocks are done, there are a few early ones which have some errant fabrics in them, which I am seriously considering re-doing.  If I don't I will only regret it.

Here are the statistics for the quilt so far ....

Blocks = 85 (100%)

Edge blocks = 28 (100%)

Cornerstones = 85 (100%)

Half Cornerstone = 28 (100%)

Sashes = 196 (100%)

Border Units = 27 (26%)

And here are the sums for how many pieces I have sewn so far. 

Blocks and Edge Blocks = 4903

Cornerstones = 765

Half Cornerstones = 168

Sashes = 196

Border Units = ?

TOTAL = 6032

With all these blocks done its time to join up with Finish Up Friday! and WIP Wednesday Confessions of a Fabric Addict.