IOP Update

So last week I visited with the Indian Orange Peel quilt. I stared at it and tried to get a conversation going, but it was mostly a one way effort. Some quilts are really noisy, but this one was very quiet. I know it's probably my neglect that is resulting in getting the silent treatment. I can make amends for that!
So I asked a new question...

"If I was going to spend some time working on this quilt, and I could pick three things to change to make me like this project more, what would I do?"

I picked 3 problems to work on and put a little red clip by that area as a reminder of the change I want to make.
It's a start!

I also reread the instructions. Do you see the words "practically impossible"? HA! That's exactly how I feel! 
Love these instructions!

Indian Orange Peel Update

Long time readers of my blog will probably remember the IOP project from 2010. It has been severely neglected even though it has been hanging on my secondary design wall for years. The pattern is by Karen K Stone and is by far the most challenging project I have ever tackled. 
You can read about the drama here.
When I was visiting my friend Louise last week (BTW I have two wonderful quilty friends named Louise... perhaps I should change my name to Thelma!) she was finishing her Indian Orange Peel quilt.
Yes... Louise is finishing her IOP! Here she is hand stitching the binding, with her sister, who is the infamous Barbara. 
Barb and I both have versions of the IOP in production because we took the same class together all those years ago. Barb won't even talk about how her quilt is coming along, or where it might even be stored! I think she's blocked it from her conscious awareness as a trauma response!

Here is Louise's almost finished Indian Orange Peel quilt. I just love this quilt! She has done an incredible job of colour and value placement. 
I wonder if she would notice if I swapped my block parts with her finished version?!?
Or I could just force myself to work on mine?!?

Okay okay! 

Here is my poor old dusty Indian Orange Peel on my secondary design wall, with pieces falling onto the floor. I sat and forced myself to stare at it a long time. Poor thing! 
First I will gather up the pieces that fell on the floor and then figure out what my next steps are going to be to make progress once again.
A big thank you to Louise for the inspiration to begin again!

Design Wall of Shame

I actually have two design walls - one for a major project, and a second smaller one that has had one project on it for years.  If you're a long time blog reader, you might know already what's still on there. In fact, I didn't write a single blog post about this project in all of 2015! But it's still there and I look at it every day (or try not to!)


It's the dreaded IOP - Indian Orange Peel. You can read the blog posts about it's journey here if you've somehow missed out on this drama.

The quilt was started in 2010. It has been on my secondary design wall for most of the years since then. It is dusty, parts are falling off the wall, and I'm just tired of it. I have even pinned some of my Life Is Beautiful embroidery blocks on top of it. UGH.
Perhaps I should cover it up with a seasonal covering like I did in 2013? 
Or here's an idea... actually sew it together and finish it!
My friend Jacqui, who took the original class with me, has finished her quilt top and you can see it over at Treadle Quilts. It is gorgeous!
To see more beautiful design walls with projects that are actually being worked on, hop over to Patchwork Times.

IOP Update

Another block in the endless IOP (Indian Orange Peel) has been completed! 
Woo hoo!
It was a tough one, with a lot of blood, sweat and tears (actually, not much blood but lots of sweat and tears!)
The waves on the left of the block are not an optical illusion, nor is it a result of bad photography. The waves are visible because this is an IOP block that has been handled a LOT and is very wavy. 
"You can quilt that out"... right?!? 
Then I tried to sew this block to it's neighbour in the quilt layout. In spite of pinning the living daylights out of the edge, I had to re-sew this seam 4 times (yes, the number after 3!) and it still is not matching all that well.
The IOP is going on the back burner for a while until I recover from this latest attempt to make progress :)
And to help with my "IOP recovery",  I'll be making a big pot of tea and watching QuiltCam tonight at 9 pm ... come join us!

IOP Update - Derailed again!

You know how it is when you're working on a long term project and fall in love with the scraps from that project, and have to start a whole new quilt?!? 

"Shattered"

I have been working on my Indian Orange Peel quilt for almost 4 years now. And it has generated a lot of great scraps, which if you are a scrap lover (addict) is so much fun!
The first pile of scraps I loved was all the cut off bits from sewing the paper pieced arc blocks. I turned those scraps into a quilt called "Shattered" which I finished in 2013.

Now I am smitten with the scraps from the sides of the IOP blocks which are cut off before sewing the curved seams to attach the arcs.
See the half moon shape I just cut off there?
Oooohhhh pretty!

I decided to put all the half moon scraps on the design wall to see how it might look. It was so fun to play with various layouts, and I came up with this idea.

Oh my goodness! YUM!

Now I can't focus on the Indian Orange Peel blocks because I am detoured by these lovely scraps.

I think I have a problem and may need someone to save me from myself!! LOL

Transformation of a Long Term Project

Since I have been working on reviving my Indian Orange Peel (aka the IOP) quilt , I have been thinking about the evolution of long term projects/jobs/relationships/quilts as they go through various stages.  


Originally the "IOP" project (as it was first named) was an opportunity for me to take on a challenging project designed by one of my favorite quilt designers (Karen Stone), to take a class with my quilting friends, and to learn more about colour theory.

Paper Pieced Arcs

The beginning of the project was a blast! I enjoyed organizing the fabric, and my favorite part was paper piecing the arcs. Loved it! It was all happiness and sunshine in the honeymoon phase!

Chompers!

And then it became hard work. Sometimes it was sheer misery. I renamed the project "Chompers". It reminded me of chomping teeth, because I had braces put on my teeth and I am not overexaggerating to say that it was agony at times.

Misery

And this quilt was painful too! It had morphed into biting teeth - it's all I could see.  "Chompers" hung on my design wall for a long time untouched. It was too hard to sew the next step and I couldn't get the layout "right".
It irritated me.
It was ugly and I didn't know what to do to improve it to help me like it more.
But I knew that if I took it off the design wall, it would sink deep into the UFO closet, never to be seen again. This is the stuff that UFO closets were made for, right?!?  Projects we hate?!? 
I had invested a lot of time, money, and energy in the IOP project, and I didn't want it to disappear. So I left it on the wall for 3 years to taunt me every day as a symbol of my failure and misery.

Then I had an experience that improved my skills and boosted my confidence. I had an experience of success!   Miraculously the blocks started to be sewn with ease. I practically squealed with delight as each curved seam was sewn - and laid completely flat.



And the points matched up!
And I loved the blocks again!
Here is my latest finished block. So pretty and colourful, and wonderfully chaotic looking, with not a single point chopped off around the curves ! I have sewn about half of the blocks in the last few weeks and can see the end in sight!

Strangely, the layout decision became a non-issue for me. I no longer cared it if "worked" or it didn't, or if the colour layout was "balanced", or if the colours and fabrics that touched each other were acceptable to colour theorists. It was all good because the energy of the project had shifted so dramatically that I just wanted to sew those curves. I leaned into those curves in a big way!

It's funny how my niece Erika could see the potential of the finished product and how her positive energy kept me connected to the possibility of continuing when I could only see the misery and the failure. Encouragement is sometimes essential!

Some may think this quilt still looks ugly. It might not be their "cup of tea" or they might feel that the design and bright colours are "too much" or the layout is all wrong.

The amazing thing about this quilt is that it is all of the above. 

Most importantly for me today - this quilt has become a symbol of my persistence, patience, and hard work.  What an amazing process to see the Indian Orange Peel become the IOP, which morphed into Chompers, and now that this project is close to becoming a finished quilt top, I need a new name... any ideas of what I should call it?!?!

IOP Update

The Indian Orange Peel blocks are coming along amazingly well. After I sew a block, I just stand there staring at it, marveling at the beauty of all the points and the smoothness of the curves. 
Here is the latest finished block. 
I love each and every one of these batik fabrics. YUM!





And here is the next block all prepped and ready to go. I just have to cut around the freezer paper template, and remove the paper from the back of the curved pieced units, and I'm ready for sewing more curves - which I am loving!
I will consider myself an expert when I complete this project, since I will be sewing a total of 120 curved seams!

IOP Update

I have an Indian Orange Peel obsession.


It's all I can think about.

After it languished on the design wall for 3 years with little attention, I am now obsessed with it! It's craziness!
The most time consuming part now is removing the paper from the back of the arcs before I piece the curves.
I can't wait to sew another curve and finish another block. I practically squeal with excitement each time I am successful!

I still cannot believe it!



Look here - I even joined two blocks together and it was easy. Everything fit amazingly well!

Indian Orange Peel Revival

The Indian Orange Peel blocks have re-appeared! I have been struggling with this quilt for more than 3 years now. But the struggle is over and progress is being made! Previously I could work a whole afternoon trying to complete a block, struggling, and removing stitches and trying again. It was so frustrating (click here to read more sordid details!)
And I gave up on it for a while.

So what has recently changed?

1. I took a curved piecing class with Pippa Moore at Quilt Canada last month which instilled confidence in my ability to painlessly piece curves on a sewing machine. In the class I sewed several blocks and it was totally fine - I was shocked! No tears! No swearing! No ripping out stitches at all! 
Her tips included: 
a) stitching s-l-o-w-l-y (hard for me to do, but it works!) 
b) using the "3 pin method" - pin beginning, middle and end of seam, and 
c) not pulling or stretching the fabric.
At one point in the class Pippa said "when you are ready to start sewing the curve, let me know and I will come over and help you". So I did. And Pippa came over and stood there. And she didn't even say anything but something magical happened... and ta-da, I could sew curves! 


So when I got home, I took out one of my orange peel blocks, and started working on this project again. I reminded myself how to cut the center of the block using the template and freezer paper.

2. Then The Quilt Show posted a free video of Jacqueline de Jonge demonstrating how she sews the complex curves on her amazing quilts. She recommended taking the paper foundations off the units before sewing.  
After I watched the video, I bravely try sewing the curves on one Orange Peel block without the paper and it was soooo much easier. SO MUCH EASIER! I was a little nervous about stretching all the seams, but nothing happened and the block lays quite flat!


I am so happy! 
I feel like I can now complete this quilt. 
And I am actually looking forward to sewing the remaining blocks! 
I can't believe it myself!
Hmmmm....perhaps this is a life lesson for me to learn about how to overcome challenges?!? 

Orange Peel Update

A few weeks ago my Mom urged me to "do something about the ugly quilt". She is referring to my Indian Orange Peel quilt, which has been on my small design wall for...um, let me think... I don't remember. Let's just say there are a few cobwebs on it!


I said "I can't do anything because it's ugly and I can't seem to fix it".
Mom said..."Well, you love scraps. Why don't you scrap it?!"
I gasped! 
Scrap it?!?!
Sheesh Mom...don't be getting all crazy on me!
It might be ugly, but it's not going in the garbage!!

Then my 16 year old neice Erika came to visit and she came in the room, looked at the quilt pieces and enthusiastically said that she loved the quilt! 

Camping with Erika and Miss Molly

When I asked her why, she said it was "so funky and colourful". 
I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder!
Now this orange peel quilt is not to be confused with this orange peel quilt...two different projects with totally different techniques. So why are they called the same thing? I guess because they share the same pointy oval shape? 
Okay.... gotta get to work peeling oranges!

Indian Orange Peel Update (IOP)

IOP (aka Indian Orange Peel and/or Chompers) has finally seen some progress! I forced myself to sew another block and it lays somewhat flat. There are now 3 of the 25 center blocks done...woohoo! 

Admittedly there were a few bad words said, but no tears shed while sewing this block, so improvement is being made! 
I have a rule that I only rip out and re-sew a seam three times and then I "call it a day"! This one was bad and is staying that way! The points don't meet and the corners are out and that is "good enough".

I guess this corner is about the same but "not terrible" so I'm leaving that.





And this one? 
The points are good and the corners meet up, and there is no pleating in the seam... I think it's as good as I'm ever going to be able do on these blocks!

Looks like I'm sewing some weird kind of origami!

Yep...the wine helps a lot!

Learning to accept the chompers!

For a long time (OK...true confessions...it's almost TWO years!) a quilt layout has been on my secondary design wall.
Initially I loved the project, enjoyed selecting the fabrics and playing with the colours, and I loved paper piecing the arcs. Then it gradually morphed into "the dreaded IOP".  
It didn't look "right", it made me feel "itchy" and nervous, and I just wasn't feeling it.  The blocks were so hard to construct, the curved seams onto paper pieced arcs seemed impossible for me to deal with, the colours and layout started to annoy me and ...in fact I started to hate the whole thing.
I can't logically explain it. It doesn't really make any sense, but I had to respect my feelings about it and try to figure out what to do. I had spent a lot of money on the classes and the fabric...what to do?!?
I knew if I put it in the UFO closet, telling myself that it was really a "WIP" (work in progress), that it would never see the light of day again! 
So I kept it in my face. Looked at it (or tried not to) every single day. Wondering to myself "what could I change that would make me like it more"? and asking the quilt "what do you want from me"?!? 
And for two years this quilt did not whisper a single thing.
I am a CQW (certified quilt whisperer) but this quilt was tight lipped - not a peep!
Finally... my friend Louise helped me to accept that "it is what it is". 
And what exactly is it? 
It is a colourful, challenging mess of chomping teeth! 
Yep it is! That's all I saw when I looked at it. It had morphed from a colourful celebration, to a miserable mess of biting teeth.
So those of you who remember that I had braces put on my teeth at 51 years of age (STUPID thing to do even to save your teeth from breaking off) will recognize how much that might be triggering to me. I have had terrible pain (which the Dr. calls "discomfort"!) with these braces and this past weekend another bracket snap off one of my crowns, and I am too busy to get to the office to get it fixed at a time they have available. 
So...I will suffer with it until either it becomes unbearable, or until February 14th Valentine's Day, whichever comes first! That is hilarious to me! Truly, it makes me LOL for real!
And what does all this have to do with the dreaded IOP quilt blocks?!? 

Well, the chompers are going to be worked on this month.
Oh yes they are Gail!

I plan to accept that "it is what it is", take each set of chompers as they are, hand piece the arcs to the curves, and see what happens then. Wish me luck!
And come by tomorrow for my stop on the Hugs and Kisses blog hop!

Indian Orange Peel (IOP) Update

It's Good Friday here and everyone has a long weekend (well, not me, but most people!) so I thought I'd tackle the dreaded IOP!
At the Indian Orange Peel class in March,  I finished 1 block, which I worked on all afternoon. I re-sewed the corners so many times that the fabric was fraying, and it's all batik! Since then, my blocks have been sitting on my design wall....just sitting, taunting me.
I have changed the arc placements a thousand times and am not feeling any more settled with the arrangement than when I started. I have spent more time with the layout on this quilt than any other in 20 years of quiltmaking!

Last week I got some great tips from other quilters about how to stop procrastinating my Indian Orange Peel project. I could feel it inching closer to the very crowded UFO closet!
In her comment on that blog post, Judy said she really wanted me to make 1 block just to show her, so I did! It didn't make me cry like the first one did and my 28 points on the curves turned out okay!  I only resewed 2 of the corners, and 1 of the corners still has a little pleat/pocket (at the place where my stork scissors are pointing) but I'm not doing it over again, because that is when the crying might start :)
2 blocks done, 23 to go!

Indian Orange Peel Class

Today was the second/final class for the Indian Orange Peel quilt. I sewed my little fingers to the bone this week and was able to finish all the homework just in time. This is what 120 finished arcs looks like!


Here they are in their 2 groups - warm colour teeth on cool backgrounds on the left and cool colour teeth on warm backgrounds on the right.

These are the centre 4 patch blocks that I sewed...we need 25 for the layout, and I sewed 34 because I wasn't sure of my colours.




Here is the teacher Heather Stewart helping me with laying out the blocks. Laying out a quilt is a funny thing...some people love it and savour it and take a long time, and other people want someone else to do it, and they want it done fast so they can get it sewn together.
There were so many thing to think about with laying out this quilt, that it really helped to have several people assisting with the initial efforts.
Here is my layout at the moment...

Looking at it on the computer screen I can see things that I need to change right away! I will hang it up on my design wall at home and work on it for a while and see how it percolates. During the class we sewed one block and it was very challenging. I didn't take a photo because it was very... how shall I say... "bowl like"!!
I'll try again another day when I am feeling more patient, and hope that my second block lays a little flatter!

Arc update

I am building arcs (not the Noah kind, the Karen Stone kind!) as fast as I can for my Indian Orange Peel quilt. I honestly had no concept of how much time this project would take me. I know that sounds odd since I've been quilting for 20 years and should know better, but I really didn't take the time to calculate it out before I jumped in with enthusiasm. Well, the enthusiasm is waning, but I am I must admit that I love looking at the arcs and arranging them for photographs and love thinking about how my quilt will hopefully come together like I see it in my mind.

On the left are finished arcs # 53 - #60.
On the right are arcs #61-#68.
Many people have asked me how long it takes to make a quilt like this. I have no idea! There is all the fabric shopping, organizing and cutting into strips. Then there is the pairing of warm and cool colours for each arc, and then the paper piecing and trimming of the arc. I know the sewing part takes me about 15 minutes per arc, therefore to sew the 120 arcs will take me approximately 30 hours. But as I've said before, I do really enjoy the zen of mindless paper piecing and look forward to tackling the weird and wonderful curves of the border units.
Below are arcs #69 - #78....I have made over 80 arcs now, and I need 120 arcs for the class on March when we will work on project layouts. Do you think I will make it? Should I start a pool and take bets on if when I finish?

After seeing these photos, I decided I need more yellows and blues in my arcs, so have cut more strips from my stash. And again, reality hit me that if my plan is to not repeat any fabrics in the arcs, I will need 240 fabrics...say what?!? Why did that just occur to me?!? I'm pretty sure I'll be repeating some fabrics soon, since I've depleted my bag of batik pieces.
To see the arcs made by other people who will be attending the class, click here to go to Gail's blog, scroll down past all the great chemo quilts her guild has made, and you can see the arc photos.

Retreat Report Day 4

The last day of retreat is very different from the first day. The excitement of seeing old friends has been replaced by excitement to see your family, the enthusiasm of being on vacation has turned to exhaustion from too many late nights & early mornings, the creative energy is depleted from working on your own quilts and consulting on other quilters' projects, and you just couldn't possibly eat one more great meal! I guess you really can get too much of a good thing!
I need a holiday to recover from quilt retreat! LOL

I did manage to get some arcs sewn for my Indian Orange Peel project.  These are my #33 - #52 arcs.
The photo on the left shows the most recently sewn cool coloured teeth on warm backgrounds, and the photo on the right shows the warm coloured teeth on cool backgrounds.
I spent way more time than I wanted to fussing around about whether certain fabrics should be classified as a warm or cool colour according to the teacher's instructions. I discovered that the red-violet fabrics are the hardest for me to classify and I am certain that I have some red-violet fabrics that have been used as both a warm AND as a cool colour in various arcs.
According to my production chart (to tackle a huge quilting project we all make production charts, right?!? Okay...don't answer that!) I was supposed to finish 92 arcs by this Saturday, so I'm just a little short of that goal at 52 finished arcs...yikes! I only have 3 more weeks before the final class, so I will have to bump up the arc production line!

When I arrived home, look what was waiting for me in the mailbox...
a mug mat from Mary over at Mare's Nest blog. She was celebrating her 300th blogpost and sent me a mug mat, which you can see has already been used. The green and white hexagon background is the mailer it was in (cool, eh?) and the back of the mat has karate monkey fabric that you can see on her blog link...very fun! Thanks so much for the gift that will be well used!