WIP Inventory...

Yep, it is time for a Work In Process Inventory.  I've got so much going on and so many future plans that I need to write them all down.  And what better place to write them than here!  You all keep me on my toes and make me accountable for finishing so here goes:

True Colors - This quilt is sooooooo close to being finished, it just needs to be quilted, and SOON!  It has a super special place to be in August.  It is actually first on the as soon as possible list.  I love this quilt and it was a lot of fun... really... if I say it enough it just might be true!  Haha, I exaggerate (seriously, you don't say).  The center is a mexican pinwheel from Marsha McCloskey's book Feathered Star Quilt Blocks I - Really Hard Blocks That Take a Long Time To Make.  She was not exaggerating, nor was she lying - that pinwheel took forever, and I still had to hand applique the lemoyne center as I could not get it to work.  Difficult yes but still beautiful nonetheless.  I have to add a quote of mine from a previous post as it's just too funny (true) not to share twice!

It is not a masterpiece, there are quite a few things wrong with the star -- hey, Marsha did warn me on the cover of the book with her statement of "really hard blocks that take a long time to make" -- she was not kidding - it really should have said Karen, you've got attention problems, can't follow directions, and don't always read the entire pattern, this is NOT the book for you.  And to be honest, I never finished the block her way -- the center lemoyne is hand-appliqued because after three tries it still didn't work right!  

I then added some borders, and additional diamond elements yet I felt it was still lacking something.  What you ask, more hand applique of course!  I decided to add a gazillion (more like 88) little 3/4" circles to the outer border.  Why?  Because it looked super cool in my mind!  Here's an older post on that in case you want to catch up.

So I have to share how this quilt was named.  Here comes that painful truth part, another share from a previous post:

Also during all that circling the mexican pinwheel was named True Colors.  I was working on making circles one night and it just happened to be after notifications of a quilt show and I was on facebook reading some "not-so-nice" comments.  Most people were congratulating others, but there were a few that weren't so joyful.  They weren't vicious, just not very nice, almost making the point that the quilts that were accepted were somehow less significant than others.  More like referencing that, but not actually saying it kind-of-thing.  So during all that "commotion" I kept saying wow, some people are really showing their true colors... hopefully my true colors never get that nasty shade of green!

This quilt has had the honor of being in the WIP Inventory more than once... yes, it is THAT old!  I discussed *thinking about* the quilting design back in June of 2013... oh my... that's awful!  No worries, it will be done, and soon!

Dance in the Rain - Where to start... all the strata are made.  Well, not all the strata.  All the strata for the kaleidoscope part.  Me, I'm now thinking an amazing strata-fied border as well!  What, that just means this beauty will stay in the WIP inventory just a little longer! This one was also in the last inventory, although I have worked on it a little, the kaleidoscope part is really starting to show.

I have such great plans for this beauty... time (or the lack of) is my only nemesis right now. I guess I should tell you about how it came to be.  My friend Marian was having a guild workshop on Ricky Tims Kaleidoscope quilts, and, of course, I had to sign up.  Well, if you know anything about me, you know I can't follow the normal - I must stray and create my own way.  Every one of my strata range from .5" up to 1.25" strips of a 9-level gradation of hand dyed fabrics.  I also added a creamy muslin and will also add black (that comes later as part of the great plans) -- the eye really needs a place to rest and the muslin provides that ever so slightly.


Arachne's Dauntless Spin - Not a whole lot has happened over here!  The only new item here is I finally found the lemon yellow dupioni!  And I didn't even find it -- Natalie found it at Houston while shopping - I was too busy at the Gammill booth to really shop - thank goodness for friends!  So at the least I'll share the latest picture of the fabrics - we've got steel grey, olive green, lavenderish purple, the bronze reflects the purple, lemon yellow, cream, and white.  You can read the original post here which tells the short version of how the name came about.  My plan for this quilt has it at about 88" square.  Not sure if I'm liking that or not, everyone that has seen the plan thinks GO BIG... me, still not convinced.  Stay tuned on this one, something is bound to happen sooner or later!

Still Un-Named Wonder - Yep, this wonderful little quilt to be is still un-named.  That's awful I know, but I've got nothing!  I've worked on it here and there, making little messes all over the studio, but nothing really constructive -- just lots of pieces.  I think it might be those two prints that are throwing me off... you know me and prints - ahhhhh!



Now don't get me wrong, these are just the WIP.  I have finished a few things as well!  I'll share more about those projects in another post.  All this unfinished quilty business is leaving me a little depressed... and wanting to tackle something - True Colors (soon)!