Salinda Rupp quilt

AKA Completely Insane and now I know why!  I was looking back over my posts and couldn't believe how long it's been since I posted about a completed quilt.  

I made this last winter and just realized I've never posted pictures.  I started it in January and completely finished it in June.  I left off the border that's in the book because I want the quilt to fit this bed and a border would have made the quilt too big.  

One of the things I learned is I'm never going to make another quilt with blocks this small and with so many pieces in them because it makes the quilting so difficult.  I hand quilt and stitching through five or more layers in the seams isn't a whole lot of fun.  I did a narrow cable in the sashing with a little flower-like thing in the blue setting squares.  The quilting in each block is different, depending on the design of the block.  (Click on the photos for a better look.)   

The blocks aren't set in any particular order so this doesn't exactly match the original but I did try to stay close to its colors.  It was obvious that Ms. Rupp used scraps so I did, too.  I kept a box on my cutting table and tossed in everything that was at least 3/4 inch wide.  Some of the pieces really do finish at 1/4 inch! 

Nearly Insane and Beyone the Cherry Trees - 18

I've been making blocks for my Nearly Insane quilt like I'm, well, nearly insane.  Rather than one at a time, here's what I've finished so far. I think I have 51 blocks in this stack but there may be a few more.  This seems like an obvious scrap quilt to me.  Some of the pieces finish at 1/4" and some blocks look like leftovers that were cut down to finish at 6" - an example is a Lone Star that has the star tips lopped off.

Nearly Insane blocks

I also finished block 18 of Beyond the Cherry Trees  ---

Block 18

This block has been up on the design board for over a week waiting for me to get the camera out.  Sometimes that's the slowest part of blogging.  


I've also been working on clothing for my granddaughter's 3rd birthday.  That girl loves new dresses more than toys and since I also love to make them for her, well, we're a perfect fit!  Pictures to follow . . . .

More Nearly Insane

Here are eight of the Nearly Insane blocks I've finished in the last couple of weeks.  I've finished up to block 18 - upper left corner.  I thought it was going to be the  hardest but then I read ahead - maybe not!

There's something about this block I really like.  I think part of it is the fabric.  I don't usually use black and gray or white for blocks but I'm really happy with this combination. 

Moving along . . .

This week, I finished three Nearly Insane blocks.  First, I want to show the difference in the pictures when I use the external flash on my camera - the real colors are somewhere in between.  I think the bottom of the flash photo is closest to what my eye sees.  I didn't aim the flash directly at the squares so that's most likely how I managed to get a slight shadow on the bottom.

Block 6 using a flash

Block 6 with a lamp

Block 7

Block 8

The inner HST's finish at 1/2", the outer at 3/4".  The block really is flat - it's just hard to get it to stay that way with so much fabric in the seams, even with good pressing.  It will be fine once I sew it to the sashing.

The other project I worked on was Midnight Stars.

Here it is, marked, basted, and ready to go.  It's about finished so I'll post pictures of it later in the week.

Progress

I'm usually a 'work on one quilt at a time and finish it' kind of person so I don't know what's happened to me!  I have pictures from three quilts I've made progress on (or started) and they don't include Beyond the Cherry Tree because I haven't finished stitching down the 112 cherries or even started the embroidery in block 16.  I also have what I need to start an embroidery BOM quilt for my granddaughter.  Once I start it, I'll post the link with the photos.

I've had the book Nearly Insane, AKA the Salinda Rupp quilt, for over seven years.  As soon as I saw one, I loved it, knew I had to make it, and bought the book.  The owner of my favorite shop at the time (she sold it and it's different now) had made it and brought it to a class.  I couldn't make it out of the shop without the book!   I've been looking at it ever since and thinking how hard it looks.  I'm sure CJ and Lori got tired of me whining about it because they finished theirs so I'm sure they already know.  This week I got my brave on and jumped in.  My goal is to average one block a week finished.  Some of them have close to 200 pieces in a block that finishes six inches.  Others are easier and I can finish them more quickly.  This is a project I can fit in during the day. This week, I finished the first three.

I also finished blocks two and three in the Civil War BOW Barbara Brackman is posting.

I cropped the photo of block 2 the same as the others 

but for some reason, that photo doesn't show up.  Just pretend, okay? 

I wanted gold stars on a blue ground in the applique block.  I enjoy applique and that didn't bother me at all but I chose the wrong fabric.  I couldn't get sharp points on the stars.  It may be just one block but I don't like it.  I also don't like the block enough to redo it.   The fabric is from my LQS, not a fabric/craft store, but the weave is very loose and the threads too coarse.  I shouldn't have picked it - I know better.  If I trimmed the fabric inside the points as close as I normally do, it raveled way too much so  I ended up with way too much fabric/too many threads inside my points.  I won't use this fabric for applique again and I may not use it for piecing.  I'll have to try it in a sample and see if it holds together.

My last photo this week is of the pieces for the doll quilt, Midnight Stars, Lori is posting.  I love doll quilts - they're easy to finish and easy to display.

This doesn't look like much but I'm ready for the next step.