Friday 21 March 2008

Spring? Really?

I don't think so.

It's blowing a gale out there, rain is lashing against the windows, the satellite dish is pixelating and snow is forecast for Easter Monday.

Look at this. Brrrrrr!


iseurm.jpg

So ladies, I need your help to get me through what is going to be a weekend (and probably next week too) confined to barracks.

I've hit an impasse. Where do I go next?

Crumb Quilt

It's the top and bottom border I've got a problem with.  I thought I'd use the crumbly cabins and they look awful.  I suppose red again, but as this is scrappy and crumbly I wanted something different.  On the other hand, if it is going to be the size of the design wall then I can put red top and bottom and add some crumbly cabins as another border, but then again I'm probably making more work for myself.

Trouble is I've got 5 cabins made up and another 2 in the making, not to mention some crumbly strips that I've put together.

Can one tie and hand quilt on the same quilt?  Tie the middle and hand quilt the borders.

Oh decisions.

DH has got a rendez vous with the heart specialist this afternoon so we're going into Périgueux.  I need to do some serious shop hunting.  My lovely QS has closed down!!!!!!!!!!!!  The one in Thiviers has too and the small, expensive one in Périgueux centre has gone over to cross stitch notions - not one FQ in sight - I suppose they might have perle 8 now though.
What is a girl to do (sob).

I've just had a nice thought - brocante season starts on Easter Monday - wooooooo hooooooo!  I suppose DH and Alex will be sitting in the car while I get soaking wet and cold.

Oh the computer went belly up again, hence my silence.  I *think* we are up and running again.

Happy Easter.  Wrap up warm if you are in Europe.

A+

11 comments:

Fifiquilter said...

If you think the red is tto much, what about adding random applique shapes from your scraps to break it up -you could use text. There's no reason why you can't quilt & tie in the same quilt (no police here!) I suppose that the tied section would 'bag' more than the quilted one - if you try it and it doesn't work, at least the ties will have tacked it in place for more quilting! Even the snow clouds (yep, it's snowing here in Aberdeen) have a silver lining. Happy Easter!

Cheri said...

Could you intersperse the cabins unevenly around the side borders as well as the top and bottom? It would break up the red a bit and could be fun (or could be awful!). Good luck playing around with it!

Sorry about your weather. We are warm and rainy today (though snow showers tomorrow) but just a tad north of us in Chicago they are geting 5 to 8 inches of snow today and more tonight! My husband's supposed to fly in there but his flight has been canceled. We may move from winter straight to summer this year.

Andrea said...

Bonjour Clare,

J'adore your crumbly cabins and the black-ish inner border. What about using a border all around made up of a scrappy block pattern on a red background? Or possibly log cabin with red centers?

I think ties would look VERY cute in the center.

Andrea, Minnesota, USA

Finn said...

Hi Clare, nice to see you home again. Hope you had a great time *VBS*
That weather map doesn't look friendly AT ALL! We are also 'blizzing' here in WI today...not much snow, but lots and lots of wind to blow it around.
Love the crumbs quilt. What about a narrow dark border and the some nice straight, but random width piano keys?? Personally I'd consider the wonky house the beginning of the next crumbs and bits quilt *VBS*
And YES, YES, YES...you can hand quilt, machine quilt AND tie all on the same quilt. The only rule is there are NO rules and you must do what makes YOU happy *VBS* Big hugs, Finn

Patti said...

Just my humble opinion of course - but I found my crumb quilts needed a very simple border to corral all the things going on in the blocks and give the eye a place to rest. I'd vote for a red top and bottom border also. You could probably put something else outside the red.

Tonya R said...

Have to admit, I'd go for the "boring" option myself. Like Patti, I really like the big solid borders to offset the jumbliness on the inside. And ditto exactly what Fifi said on the tying and quilting. There will be no snow!!!! I forbid it.

Holly said...

oooowhee brrrr! Don't envy you your forcast. I totally understand any cabin fever you may experience. We have rain in the forcast as far as the eye can see but I know there is an end.

I'm so excited you got to visit Tonya and the two of you got to spend some time together. You lucky ducks!

I have no suggestions for your crumb quilt because I'm not good at that kind of thing but I have to say it is looking spectacular. Sorry about the quilt shops closing or converting. That's disappointing.

What is brocrambe season? Never heard of it.

Hedgehog said...

I have to say, I like some more red.

Cold, cold, cold here in Finland! I feel like I should be wishing people a Merry Christmas, except that it's light out!

Happy Easter to you and yours!

Pam-purple quilter said...

I like Finn's idea of the narrow dark border, and the piano keys outer border. You could also put another dark narrow border on the other side of the piano keys as well. If you use the red border all around, you could quilt something fun in verigated thread or a contrasting thread to add some color in the red. I like your wonky houses, too. Could you put one each on the corners, and use the rest on the back, or make them into a label? Or start another quilt with wonky houses! So many choices. Of course you can quilt it any way you want. Whatever you decide to do, have fun with it!

Sandy said...

Oh, this snow is horrible! It's been snowing all day long and doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon. Why now, when we didn't get anything all winter? Strange......
I absolutely love your crumbs quilt! I love the red on the sides. Maybe the bottom and top border can just be a narrower dark color, or the bit of green you used? How about black and white piano keys?

Lily said...

Argh brrrr! Turned cold over the weekend here, so maybe you'll get that spring weather after all :)

Piano keys top and bottom could be good too :) :)