Project Simplify - Day 50
August 3, 2011 Ok everyone. Are you ready for the last Project Simplify quilt? I'm not. I mean, I've been looking forward to making this quilt since I got the book and I'm excited to make it. But I'm totally sad that it's the last one. (Sigh.)
This quilt is called Dream Big. I admit that when I started this blog on Valentine's Day of this year, I had no idea I'd be here right now with you. And I had NO CLUE I'd have quilted my way through Camille's book and found so many of you to keep me company, encourage me, give me helpful bits of advice and just make me feel like I bring something worthwhile to this every-growing and fabulous on-line community.
I'd been dreaming of having a quilt/craft blog for a full year before I finally turned it into a reality and just did it already! I'm so happy I did. This creative outlet has been satisfying for me in many ways. The most important for me I think is that I've found a way to share my passion with others who "get it".
See, when I talk to my non-crafty friends or the moms at my girls' school about my passion for sewing and how I spend my time, they look at me like I'm off my bleepin' rocker. They don't understand why on earth I'd rather cut up fabric than shop for shoes. Or how much fun it is for me to sew a bajillion little pieces of fabric together for hours on end instead of going out for coffee. The polite ones pretend that it sounds cool. Some are even genuinely impessed when they see something I've made. But others just look at me wide-eyed as I describe my latest project, shake their heads and say, "You're crazy!"
Yes, to each her own, I suppose.
But here, I feel at home with you. I know I'm really just sitting in front of my computer, typing away. But when I see you visiting me and leaving comments, I feel appreciated and welcomed. I know time is valuable, and that you choose to visit ME and spend some of YOUR time HERE means the world to me. So thank you. Thank you very much.
Ok, whoa! Where did all that come from? I wasn't expecting to say all that, but when I started thinking about my dreams ...
Now, where was I? Oh yes. When I first came up with the idea for Project Simplify, I was so excited, but at the same time totally nervous that Camille might not like my idea. I mean, she didn't know me from a hole in the wall. I hadn't been blogging for very long at all and she didn't know what kind of quilter I was and how I would talk about her book. It was a generous leap of faith on her part to give me her approval (and I wouldn't have done this project without it!) It was a very big dream for me. And, well, I guess you know how it turned out. Thanks, C!
Fabric. Hmmm, what to use, what to use. Well, I've had this little Fat Eighth bundle in my stash since Quilt Market in Houston 2010.
What's a Fat Eighth? Good question. It's half of a Fat Quarter! These ones are 9" x 22".
(Oh, please note, the pattern in the book does NOT call for Fat Eights. I'm gonna have to do some fancy cutting and stuff here.)
This bundle has a great mix of pretty colors. My favorite is the blue (I know! I didn't say pink!) The pink is my second favorite. But that sky blue is just so clear and fresh and ... pretty!
Now in the interest of full disclosure, I am letting you know now that I'm not putting a border on this quilt. I don't have any Buttercup yardage at all - just these precuts - and I'm not supposed to be buying any fabric for this project, remember? ;) So I'm going to try a bit of an experiment. I'm pretty sure this bundle has more yardage than what the pattern requires for the pieced part of the quilt. So I'm just going to cut my Fat Eighths into as many blocks as I can and then build the quilt as big as possible. Let's see what happens!
Project Simplify 
Reader Comments (25)
First of all thank you so much for your blog it's such a pleasure to read it and live with you your way to the book;-)
Second I have a buttercup charm pack, I love this fig tree line and hope that I'll find a very good project for it near in the future! Actually my favorites in this line are the cremes than the blues.
I can't wait to see your big dream! And my advice: if you realize that this quilt would look better with a border (and none of us know this by now) than let the rules be rules and buy one;-) I'm sure no one will judge you for that (I definitly don't).
Hildy
Fantastic!
I'm in awe that you've plowed your way through the book so quickly - good luck with the last project! You can't go wrong with Fig Tree - her fabrics are some of my all-time favorites.
I have really enjoyed reading along with your progress. You have a such a pretty blog and do such beautiful work. I love that you've used your stash and I'm amazed at how quickly you work! I hope you continue to post more sewing adventures after you finish Project Simplify. Thank you! OH, and how does your stash look now?
what a wonderful project. I have Camille's book and also have 2uttercup charm packs and some yardage...I might follow along on this one.
I've loved your blog yay!! It's fun to watch you go through the book, and seriously, you have been making the most beautiful projects. This fabric is fabulous. I just bought some Strawberry Fields because the colors of it were so amazing!! It won't match my house decor at all, but I don't care :)
A lot of my friends think I am crazy too, but I think they are crazy for some of the things they do, so aren't we all crazy together in our own ways? :) Keep it up, you are doing a fab job!!
This quilt is going to be lovely! Can't wait to see it, and you are always sooooo prompt I won't have to wait long! Hee Hee! Must be all that help from your little helper of yours (note to self: teach my boys how to help quilt) I'd also love to see your stash redux!
So, I was going to copy your idea and make a Sugar Rush bag but don't really know how to make a bag in general - since you're the expert can you make a tutorial or a pattern to sell? :-)
Oh wow! First of all, thank you for those kind words. Your blog gives an opportunity to wind down for a bit and catch one's breath. That said, I have to say I'm really impressed with the quilts you made from Camille's book. This one, to me, is very intimidating, so I'm cheering for you for giving it a go! Good luck, I'm here to watch your progress. Hugs, Marja
You are just so great. I can't thank you enough for the sunshine you bring into my days. I love popping by and seeing what you are sewing (even when I like your versions better than my own. :-)
In complete agreement about the friend thing. Isn't it wonderful to have a whole community of like-minded women out there who love cutting fabric into a million pieces and sewing it back together as much as we do? Amazing.
I have been really enjoying all your quilting tales ..... especially your brave move away from your comfort zone of cross hatching! And I always love your faric choices. I'm looking forward to seeing how this quilt turns out.
Like you, I thought and thought about starting a blog - then just sat down one day and did it!! I have made so many friends - and have now met several (including one when we were in Australia on holiday). I love blogging - and blog reading!
I got a little teary eyed reading the post. It's like the last day of school and we're graduating. We're all crying and hugging each other...wait a minute! You're not LEAVING us are you??!! You do have something new up your sleeve, right?
Don't make me get out my passport and fly up there! Because, I will! Don't test me because I will young lady!! ;0
Say it isn't so! The last quilt of the book. :( It's been so much fun! I love Ina's comment! This is a wonderful community for sure! I love, love this quilt and can't wait to see it finished in all its Fig Tree glory!
It use to take a cup of coffee in the morning to get me going,but now I start everyday with a trip to the computer to check on what you are up to. I don't know anyone who quilts as fast or prolific as you. You are awesome! I ,too, hope you have another project up your sleeve, so that I can tag along. Like all your quilts this one will be beautiful.
Take care,
Carole Y.
Hello! I am a new blog follower ( can't remember which blog that linked me to you last week) and I just love your Project Simplify idea!! I wish I would have found you before now as I've got a crazy big stash too and I've put myself on a stash-reduction diet before I can buy any more fabric - the Internet makes it wayyy too easy to buy online! BUT, as I too have a Simplify book, I may just follow in your footsteps (did I say what a great idea this is!!). I also love the idea that you quilted your own tops that you made. I've been making tops for some time now but the whole Free Motion Quilting has always been scary/intimidating/overwhelming. Thanks for sharing this great idea and your journey!
I'm really glad you decided to join us in blogland too! Your quilts are gorgeous and you're great fun as well! :)
Love your new quilt colours especially the blues, greens and browns, looking forward to seeing the finished article.
Vivienne x
The quilt will look wonderful in those fabrics I'm sure. I have sewn the middle in Basic Grey's Figgy Pudding fabrics, and just have to add borders etc. Need to find the right fabric though.
I can't believe how quickly you've gone through the projects in the book. Can't wait to see this one done, though it's the last.
Thanks for sharing your feelings, I feel very much the same about how others really think it is a bit crazu to cut up fabric etc. I too appreciate the on-line community (even though I really don't have a huge back and forth connection with bloggers). I really love that you are Canadian and from Calgary to boot! I have lived there a long time and look forward to moving back West- i miss it so much ( I just watched all four episodes of Heartland because the landscape etc was so beautiful). Can't wait to see Big dreams and when I finally do mine I will send you the picture.
I'm so happy you started a blog. I love checking in each day to see your Project Simplify and FWS progress and I'm looking forward to seeing whatever you start next. You may have enough fabric left to make a small piano key border. Buttercup is a beautiful fabric range and will be so pretty in that quilt.
So happy you took on this project for us! We all love you Kristyne for your quilts but more, for inspiring us. As I have mentioned your blog is my favorite and I hope you will continue to send us a blog once in awhile. This line of fabric is so pretty. I have 4 charm packs and some 1/2 yards. This will be a pretty quilt. Fig Tree makes beautiful fabric, that's for sure. I look forward to this last quilt in the book. I guess you'll need to take a vacation after it's done!
I hate to see Project Simplify come to an end, but I am sure you will come up with something else to entertain and inspire us! I signed up for a blog a month ago and just can't seem to get started on it. Hopefully, this winter I will find a bit more time to devote to it.
This last quilt will be stunning and it will be interesting to see how many blocks you can make with the fat eighth's. Do you do your own quilting on bed sized quilts or do you send them to a long arm quilter?
I just knew we had a lot in common when I met you -- and that whole spiel about friends who shop and meet for coffee is exactly how I feel. I love my friends, but they just can't relate to this fabric obsession. Isn't the internet fab?
This is going to be one pretty little quilt. If I were there I'd take your temperature though -- are you sure you're ok? Pink not your favorite? I think I felt the earth shudder just a wee bit when I read it. At least I'm relieved to know this won't be the end of your projects -- I mean, you know.....there's more fabric on the way LOL!!!
Ok, I had talked myself out of buying this book. Convinced I didn't need it. Now I know, I need this book!! Thanks for walking through the book and all the projects you have done.
Can't wait to see how this one comes out... love the pattern and love your choice of fabric. xo amy
Oh please don't say this will end your quilting/blogging adventures!!? I can understand wanting to follow Camille's book, but I bet we could find another book, or some projects to do a quilt along with you. I absolutely adore your blog because of your writing, your taste in fabric and your execution of these projects. You really ROCK!!! and I want more!!!
Love ya,
Betsy in sunny Mill Creek, WA
I'm a first time visitor to your site. What a fun idea to do all the quilts from the book. I'm going to take a look through all of them. I am just putting the binding on a quilt made from this fabric line and it is BEAUTIFUL! It is going to be fantastic in that quilt. I can't wait to see how it comes out!