I've been trying to tidy up my sewing room, which has been a bit jumbled since I moved. Some of the messiest containers were the ones (note plural) that housed my strings and crumbs and bits that I just wanted rid of. 
There are strips torn off backings and donated strings and weird crooked lengths in here. I kept opening the drawers and staring at the contents, getting stymied as to how to use them, and putting everything away again. I felt like Kramer in that Seinfeld episode where he has the line in a Woody Allen film- "These pretzels are making me thirsty", except I was saying "These strings are making me anxious!"
I've come to the conclusion that I don't like piecing string blocks on a paper foundation, even though the majority of quilters seem to love it. I don't like the process of the sewing, or tearing the paper off afterwards, and my strings seem to make really boring dull blocks anyway.
Look at these two, Boring!! (And don't mention fabric foundations, I like them even less)
Yet I love the finished results that others seem to get, especially the antique examples I've saved. Even the old and faded ones are beautiful.
Can't say these are boring..
Wow, lots happening in this one,
and these three have given me an idea...
I cut the blocks into quarters and sashed them-
much more interesting now methinks. I might even learn to like the process eventually.
In other news, Keryn has to dig a trench on her property for some cables to be laid, and we thought the best way to soften the ground would be to keep filling it with water and digging out the earth the next day when it had drained away. She had two avid helpers, especially Dolly who obviously has a keen interest in engineering. Pippi just ran around like an idiot, falling in the trench at intervals and getting filthy. Eventually I put them in the car and took them home to my place.
Note that I put some paper on the seats to protect them a bit- somehow it ended up scraped to the back and the mud ended up all over the place anyway.
But Pippi had such a good time I couldn't be cross, look at that happy face!
8 comments:
Oh boy, mud!
What a brilliant idea to do with your strings; they look very good quartered and sashed like that.
I really love that style of quilt and it will be a great design for your string blocks!
LOVE what you did with the strips.....scrappy quilts rule!!
Pippi is one gorgeous girl!
I also hate the foundation part - are you doing your blocks without? They look great quartered and sashed. Inspiring!
Hi... I use very light interfacing for the foundation - leave it in; not much extra weight. Jan in wet SE NSW
I can't believe how big Pippi is, already.
Little rascals! It's nice that Dolly has an interest in technical things like engineering, but being Staffys I suspect that it's the water they both love! Thanks for the pictures.
I'm a string quilt fan too and have been fishing in my string tin trying to get my mojo back. I just love the freedom of it all, no measuring, no counting, no miles of cutting. Your blocks are looking great with the cross.
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