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Monday, July 27, 2015

dot your i's quilt-the beginning

First off, thank you ALL so much for your kind words about my oh my stars! quilt. Those long time WIPs make for especially sweet finishes! I appreciate each and every sweet comment that you left!

About a week ago, I started a new portable project. I had the need for one, since my star quilt is finished. I have to say, this quilt was quite pre-meditated!
I've wanted to make a quilt titled "dot your i's" for years and years--at least 8 years, if I had to guess. The problem is, I only had the title, but no design idea to back it up. No matter how hard I tried, the idea just wouldn't come. Well, after I made this pin cushion, I KNEW I wanted to make an entire quilt with "squircles" on a patchwork background. I recalled my title and paired the two together. Perfection!!!

Each of the irregular circles are hand basted onto a 4" background square and then appliqued down. I was inspired by Carolyn's aerial grove quilt and followed the hand applique instructions she gives in her book Savor Each Stitch.
I am using a variety of light fabric for the backgrounds (much like this quilt) and my most precious, most hoarded scraps for the circles. (Original Flea Market Fancy, Katie Jump Rope and other older Denyse Schmidt prints.) I figured since I will be hand stitching, I will get maximum enjoyment from these precious fabrics.
I decided to line up the blocks along the top edge of my design wall so I can enjoy them while the quilt is in progress. I can't believe how fast this project is growing already! I guess it goes without saying, I really like hand stitching...and scraps, for that matter! :)

Happy Monday to you!

42 comments:

  1. How about some cross your Ts too!

    Maybe a border of Ts.

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  2. This reminds me of my Sweethearts quilt. A single heart on a 4" square. I and a couple of girlfriends made one a day for a year. Set on point, they came out to a perfect number to make a large quilt. Love your idea!!

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  3. This is lovely. I really like the colors you've used. It's very inspiring.
    I've heard good things about that book - maybe it's time that I check it out.

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  4. Somthin' lookin' beautiful there!

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  5. My heart fills up with your inspiration. Thank you for the colorful pictures. Your design wall is going to have a super border. :)

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  6. Me too... I love hand stitching! And your design wall is just to die for... so much happiness :)

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  7. Oh that does look like so much fun, and I love seeing your design wall - it's such a happy peak into your WIPs

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  8. This will be wonderful! I especially love how you are savoring the whole project, as well as each stitch :)

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  9. I have a box of charm squares with circles hand appliquéd on them. They have been lost and forgotten for a few years now. Your project, although very different in its colours, reminds me that I must restart.

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  10. Anonymous8:29 PM

    The title of your quilt brings back memories of spelling class in 5th or 6th grade. I can't remember which. But I certainly remember the big deal the teacher made about me forgetting to dot one "i" in a spelling test and counted it wrong. She made me write it over 25 times. I was so angry that it was counted wrong just because the dot was missing, even though the letters were in the correct order, that I wrote it 25 times without dotting any of the "i's". She made me do it again and I dotted every other one. She finally gave up trying to make me conform. And that pretty much explains my entire school career from Kindergarten through college.

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  11. These blocks are so pretty!

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  12. Your design wall makes me happy, it's so full of color! I hope to have a design wall that is a literal wall someday, but for now I get the space of wall behind the door of our second bedroom! Start small and grow, right? :)

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  13. This is going to be stunning. I need to check out the appliqué hints as it is something I am rarely happy with afterwards. x

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  14. Anonymous4:34 AM

    loving it!

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  15. Glad that you are enjoying the hand stitching. I love hand work.

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  16. Love these so much!

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  17. Love all your quilts and ideas! I can see one square with a heart like the cool girls used to dot their i's.

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  18. I love the look of them across the top of your design wall. So cute!!!

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  19. I've got a circle quilt in the back of my mind. It's made of rings and circles. One of these days...
    Have FUN with your Squircles!!!

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  20. Looks like you have a lot going on there...LOVE your dot's quilt - your background fabrics make such a difference! But for me, applique is still torture! I love the effect, but I'm so dissatisfied with my own abilities!!! Still, it is great for handwork...

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  21. You definitely inspire me to quilt! Love this!

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  22. The I's would be a cute hand sewn touch as a border for any quilt. Love your design wall. If only I had room for one.

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  23. Would you ever consider hand quilting the squircles blocks together.... And then perhaps hand quilting and finishing....? Just curious....

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  24. Is this the dreaded needle-turn applique? Or are your circle edges pressed under to start? They do look so happy on your design wall!

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  25. This is so similar to one I am working on. It started as a baby quilt but I like it so much I am expanding it. My neutral background squares are 8 inches and the circles are all from different dotted fabrics. While most of them have only one circle, a few of them have 2 or 3 smaller ones. I'll share a photo when I get a little further down the line.

    Diannia

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  26. I love love it! When I first saw it, I thought about that Paint by number, painter's pallet fabric!! It's really incredible!

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  27. What a sweet design, I love it!

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  28. this is coming along quickly, good to see your vortex too, mine is now in the flimsy stage, delighted it ended up 60" square

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  29. These hand applique circles are on my list to try. Love your plan for them!

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  30. I'm loving those dots at the top of your design wall! :)

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  31. This is inspiring. I could accomplish this in ten years if I didn't forget I started it...Seriously, I love the colors you are using! I have this love of text backgrounds. That would be awesome for me to use in the background. I have some maps, too. Hum. I may need to do this. After reading that you have 24 or whatever it was WIPs, I could use some more!

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  32. How fun that you came up with the quilt to go with the name. Enjoy all your hand stitching time.

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  33. These are so beautiful and perfect for those special scraps! Your design wall looks amazing and so inspirational! I'm a huge fan of hand sewing too, it makes a nice change of pace.

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  34. I too like your current project. Very nice! Will you add smashing?

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  35. Such a charming quilt. Love the binding you did. Congrats on your finish.

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  36. I do think this makes a lovely hand stitched project and a good way to use up some of the larger scraps that do not go in the vortex project

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  37. You are such an inspiration! This little quilt block looks so easy to work on for a "daily fix". Keep it coming!

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