Alysa Liu may be the most joyful human I have ever seen. This young woman makes me smile every time I watch her. I love her No Rules and I Don't Care If I Fall and I'm Doing It My Way attitude, and yes even her frenulum piercing and halo hair have grown on me. She is mindful of others as she follows her own heart, and I just think she is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the skating world as well as in life.
Halo hair!
I am channeling my inner Alysa Liu this year. You might say this is my Halo Hair moment as I look at sewalongs and old and new projects and even organizing my space with a new sense of freedom. For the first time since I started quilting, my approach is based on emotional response rather than rules, and this is the right path for me. This is probably not a new concept for you, but it is for me. Something changed for me this year, and my angst, depression, feeling overwhelmed, and lack of motivation has faded away. Thank goodness!
Mercantile Block - Grandma's Quilt
Grandma's Quilt block, fourth block in the 2024 Mercantile Sewalong
I am no longer thinking of the amount of fabric in Lori Holt's Mercantile block patterns as "waste" but rather as extra for future projects (thank you Nancy!) And after reading a few great suggestions, I gave thought to the sensible option of trimming fabric after appliqueing but ultimately decided against it (although if I was hand quilting this quilt, I would trim away that thickness). Here are the persuading quotes I selected from Lori's tutorial regarding why she does not cut away the extra fabric from the back of the appliqued pieces:
"I do not trim away any of my fabric after applique. This goes for ALL of my
applique quilts. I enjoy the texture and stability of the layers of fabric ...
... and may I also add that the appliques also look amazing when quilted
because they really pop because they are ON TOP of the fabric!!
They look like round quilty sugar cookies on top of a 4-Patch"
That last sentence did it for me! You can read her whole entertaining conversation about it right here (scroll down past midway).
This fabric arrived today, and it is for a new project that has me quite excited! My to-do list keeps growing, and I hope I can do it all. But if I don't, it's OK, it is just fun trying!
I am adding this post to Melva's Sew and Tell
I love that skater too - she is so full of energy and kindness. I haven't always cut away the back but it very much depends on the quilt :) it is always "you do as you want" in my opinion. Yes there is a lot of excess fabric but like you - I decided to just go with the flow I'm not going to figure out new measurements I would rather have too big and square up then too small to square up.
ReplyDeleteI like the change in attitude...I need some of that!!! When I read your post about the wasted fabric from Lori's applique' blocks, I thought it wouldn't be a bad thing for someone who is trying to build their stash. As you know, I love Lori's fabrics and can never have enough. However, it isn't for everyone, nor is building more stash. I hope you can find a fun use for the leftovers. Love those new fabrics and can't wait to see your plans for them.
ReplyDeleteI love your new attitude....hope some rubs off over here...I am slower than a snail these days and don't know why. Love your approach to the mercantile blocks...makes perfect sense to me! I do like Lori's image...cookie on a quilt!
ReplyDeleteI've been impressed with Alysa, too - look at that jump for joy! Glad you're back to quilting and deciding which projects give you joy, Linda. That was interesting to read Lori's thoughts about not cutting away the fabric behind the applique. Pretty new fabric bundle, too - I'll enjoy seeing what you do with it!
ReplyDeleteI didn't see much of the Olympics (we don't own a tv) but I did see her performance and, wow!!! Inspirational! Joyful, yes!!! I love it!!! And Linda, you are really cooking in the quilt court this year!!! Just like Alysa Lui! You keep on skating, er, quilting!!! I love those round blocks!!!
ReplyDeleteI continue to LOVE your color sense!! And the new fabric is gorgeous! I am so glad you have returned to quilting and blogging, I missed your updates.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It is nice to be missed. :D
DeleteI loved this post, as I totally agree -- we need to think more like Alysa and ditch all our rules and just go! I go back and forth on the trimming appliqué. If it will change the color (like appliquéing yellow on a blue), I will trim. But I love the idea that we don't "have to" do that anymore! Thanks for this fun post -- and your block is looking beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy you've entered such a joyful time in your quilting life! Yes, we are playing. We've played by "the rules" enough. Our hobbies are now our time to explore possibilities, break rules and have fun! Yay for you! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the new fabric you ordered! It will make a beautiful quilt. I’m so happy you’ve found a new path on your quilting journey. Creatively should be joyful and motivating!
ReplyDelete