What do you know!

Funny how writing the previous post helped me make decisions about this quilt. As soon as I finished the post I tossed all but five of the blocks into the garbage. I tucked the red oak leaf wreath in my basket for handwork, took the silver thread out of the peacock's tail, took the funny braid off the apple basket and the edge braid off the red and gold basket. I pulled out my basket of rolled up Baltimore patterns, found the appropriate patterns, matched them with the kept blocks and put them back into the drawer.

Then I started reading the comments being left on the post. Call me silly - but it never occurred to me to put the twelve finished blocks together into a quilt top. I my mind Baltimore album quilts are square, so I needed either sixteen blocks or twenty five blocks. I started thinking about the comments that had been left and realized that the quilt police would not come arrest me if I constructed a simple twelve block album top from the finished blocks. I pulled out the five blocks I had saved and took another look at them. And decided that I didn't want to spend my precious time finishing them when there are so many other projects I'd rather do. So I pulled out all the pins, took the needles off the thread, and tossed the remaining five blocks into the waste basket.

I had several possible border choices in my stash so I chose one and went to work. I trimmed the blocks to 15 1/2", sashed them with 1" strips, cut cornerstones from the edges of the tossed blocks, and sewed the top together. As I worked on this top I felt a marvelous sense of relief. My oldest UFO is now a finished top - one that I can use for practicing machine quilting on appliqué. The appliqué itself is far from perfect as these are the pieces I learned on, so it makes sense to learn new quilting patterns on the top.

Thanks to everyone who helped me work toward this decision. I couldn't possibly be happier!

Baltimore Blocks

Since I can't find the quilt top that I want to hand quilt I need to decide on my next appliqué project. I have several new projects that I could start, but with so many still unfinished that is NOT a good idea. I could prepare more blocks for my Mid-Century album quilt, but a little nagging voice in my head says "Why do that when you have a bunch of appliqué blocks that need to be finished?"

Of course the little voice is talking about my oldest UFO - the Baltimore Album Quilt - which I blogged about here. Next year it will be twenty years old. Surely it has aged sufficiently that it now deserves to be finished. Or at least turned into a finished top before it's twentieth birthday. Unfortunately I'm having a hard time drumming up interest in finishing it. I have completely finished twelve blocks for the quilt. The problem is that I have a bunch of partly finished blocks that need completion, and none of them really speak to me any more. Most of them were done in classes that I took - several from the queen of Baltimore album quilts herself - Elly Sienkiewicz. Elly is a delightful, creative lady, and I took the classes not because I was necessarily thrilled with the blocks but because it was so much fun to be in her classes. A couple of the blocks were started in classes with a former Tangled Thread member, and when I see them all I think about is her not so delightful personality and how glad we all were when she dropped out.

So, the big question is this - do I finish some or all of these blocks? Many are much more elaborate than the blocks I've already finished. One choice would be to finish four of the more elaborate blocks, which could go into the middle of a sixteen block quilt. The other blocks could be finished and put into a smaller wall hanging. Or I could make four entirely new blocks - simple ones that fit with the ones I've already finished - for a sixteen block quilt. I could toss some or all of these partially finished ones - which part of me wants to do, but the other part of me is horrified at the idea. I can't imagine tossing them in the garbage, but I'd happily toss them to another quilter who might actually finish them. What is a quilter to do?

So, without further ado, here is each block in turn, along with my thoughts. All pictures should be "clickable" in order to better see the details. Any thoughts or input would be appreciated. And if you would like one or more of the blocks that I want to toss off my hands just let me know. I'll happily send it off to you with my blessings!

This is an oak leaf and acorn wreath done in simple cutaway appliqué - easy to finish but rather boring. My plan was to do an ink sketch of our home in the center of the wreath. I'm sure I'll finish this one - it's probably the best choice for handwork at Tangled Threads meetings.

This peacock is also one that I will most likely finish. It was started in class with J__ and not touched after that. I know what I don't like - the silver metallic thread for the embroidery. If I take that out and choose a nice color of DMC then I should be able to finish this one without a problem.

I did this much of a block in another class with J__. We learned three dimensional roses and woven baskets. I really don't care for this block at all. I don't like the shape of the basket and I think the lower petals on the rose are out of proportion. I thought I'd tossed this in the garbage years ago, and was surprised to find it in the drawer. I really don't want anything more to do with this block.

This cutaway lyre wreath is completed except for a three dimensional ruched rose at its base. Note the block is now stained - I must have spilled tea on it when I was working on it. No point in finishing it unless the stains will come out. I have already cut all the strips for making the ruched rose. They are all fancy fabrics - satin, taffeta, rayon, etc. - fabrics I just don't ever use in my quilt making. It would be a beautiful block finished, but not at all my style. My impulse is to toss this one also.

Another peacock in a rose tree, also started in a class with J__. The three dimensional roses are pinned on and ready to appliqué. The peacock tail is fussy cut from an old paisley print. It will be beautiful when finished, but I think would look inappropriate in the quilt because most all the blocks are much simpler. I could finish this one and then use it for the center of a small wall hanging or a very elaborate pillow.

This is another lyre wreath started in a half-day class with Elly. At the moment I can't find the pattern and I have no memory of what the block is supposed to look like. Since I've completed very little of it my impulse is to toss this one also.

This apple basket is definitely "beyond Baltimore" - Elly's words about some of her more recent designs. It is an interesting block because of the three dimensional braids on the basket. One apple and some of the leaves are all that is actually stitched down. The braids and basket are just pinned into place because I really have no idea how to stitch them down. Just tacking them would be very insubstantial, but I think stitching them down tightly would take away from the three dimensional effect. I have no idea what I should do with this block other than toss the braids and finish the rest.

This last block is another of Elly's "beyond Baltimore" designs. The pattern for this one isn't in the drawer either, though I think I know where it is. The basket is interesting as it has that three dimensional braid across the top. It's not yet sewn down - I'm thinking maybe there are flower stems that I planned to tuck under it first. The thing is that I can't remember what is supposed to be in this basket. Maybe it's not flowers at all, but fruit instead. The leaves at the bottom of the basket also need to be stitched - as you can see those are done with cut away appliqué. This is another block that I just might finish - if I can find the pattern!

If you have stuck with me this long you now understand my quandary. After almost twenty years I need to decide once and for all what I'm going to do with this project. And sticking it back into the drawer for another five to ten years should not be an option!

My oldest UFO - going on 18 years old now

I know the month and year I started the first block of my oldest UFO because I wrote the date on it with Pigma pen when it was finished - June, 1989. I'd read about Elly Sienkiewicz and her quilts in Quilters Newsletter magazine, and became fascinated with Baltimore Album Quilts. I ordered her first book, Spoken Without A Word, which she self published. It now goes for over $350 on Ebay! I bought her second book Baltimore Beauties and Beyond, Studies in Classic Album Quilt Appliqué as soon as it became available in May of that year. I started with lesson one and made every block in turn through lesson 6. As I finished each block I carefully wrote my name, the month and the year in an inconspicuous spot in the design. About the same time I got the book I learned that Elly would be teaching four days of classes in Portland, Oregon at Daisy Kingdom, so I told my husband that's what I wanted for my birthday and Mother's Day. I spent four marvelous days with Elly, and showed her the blocks I'd completed so far.

About the time I'd finished twelve blocks I started teaching quilting at Daisy Kingdom. All my classes were piecing classes so I moved away from appliqué. Over the next several years I took several more classes with Elly and started 8-10 more blocks which are still incomplete. Then I lost interest in appliqué for quite a few years until I discovered folk art and primitive designs.

I'm sure I'll finish this quilt some day - even if I do nothing but set these 12 finished blocks into a quilt. Much better, I think, would be for me to finish the blocks too. They are much more complicated, with woven baskets, three dimensional flowers and fanciful birds. I take them from the drawer now and then and note that it really wouldn't take all that much effort to finish them. I even keep them out on my cutting table for a few days. Then I carefully roll them up and tuck them back into the drawer. The time to finish them is not yet here.