Episode 145: The Unquilting

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quilted medallionAbove, the quilted medallion. It doesn’t add anything to the quilt, I fear.

unquilted medallionThe unquilted/dequilted version is kinda cool–I prefer it to the quilted version. We’ll see what happens when I steam and wash.

Sorry as always for the cruddy pix.

I can’t remember if I referred to any books in the quilt diaries. I’m not reading anything exciting now. Are you?

Don’t forget to enter the podcastiversary give-away by leaving a comment between now and September 30th. Good luck!

28 Replies to “Episode 145: The Unquilting”

  1. Hi Frances, I haven’t listened yet, but I have read a couple of good books lately. One is part of the Jane Austen Project – with modern writers rewriting the novels, but set in the present. I read the Joanna Trollope version of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ – I thought she did a good job. I was willing to give it a try because I consider her to be a pretty good writer – I have read other books of hers that I enjoyed. I also read ‘Trains and Lovers’ by Alexander McCall Smith, and also, ‘What W.H Auden Can Do For You’ by the same author. I admit to being an Alexander McCall Smith fan. Coincidentally, he is going to do one of the Austen novels, but I forget which one. I will probably listen to your podcast tomorrow while working in the garden.

  2. Hi Frances-
    Thanks for mentioning me by name in the podcast! I go total fan girl when you do that!!! Although I will say that I hope I encourage you to take more steps than to feel defeated. The new desk will definitely help with that. The doctor who developed that did his research in the town where I live so I feel connected with that too! I run regularly with a group so that helps with my steps but it does take away from quilting time. You can only do so much in a day.

    As for choosing quilting, I really learned a lot from Leah Day’s Quilting a Sampler class on Craftsy. She really dissects the blocks and many ways on how to fill them. It has helped me a lot with that. Sorry to hear about all of the unsewing you did. That is never fun.

    Good luck with the decluttering!
    Brenda F

  3. To address your love of a Scottish accent, give a listen to the Caithness Craft Collective podcast. Louise is very engaging and entertaining and has a Scottish accent that is wonderful. Also, try Knit British, which may be hosted by a Scots, but she has a lovely accent at any rate.

  4. We just moved somewhat quickly so I am also de-cluttering and organizing. It’s overwhelming and also very satisfying when I get a small chunk done.
    I am interested to see what happens with the unstitched quilt.
    I just finished reading the third in the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It is not my usual fare but I enjoyed them. I also read a Molly Murphy mystery which was bleh. Actually, I did not finish it, because it was bleh. And I finished my second ever Agatha Christie book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, on iBooks (free!) and liked it.

  5. I think one of your many gifts is sharing on your podcast. Thank you for making me laugh out loud. My favorite You Tube video ~ Quilt Binding Joining Ends Marci Baker with Alicia’s Attic. I’ve been quilting for 30 years and I still need refresher videos. Sincerely, Suzanne (an introvert listener)

  6. I don’t think it’s so bad! I like it.. But I agree would be better with white thread.
    When I quilt something densely, I want the texture to show, but not so much the threa colour.

  7. FreeCycle – I love it when I have stuff to get rid of but I have to go “no e-mail” when I’m not actively participating. The “wanted – car in good shape”, “wanted – all kitchen appliances, we need them all” or similar posts start to wear on me. Recently I posted something on FreeCycle with no responses. Someone suggested putting it on CraigsList which I did and got $100.00 for it. Go figure.

  8. Oh! And the desk treadmill…LOVE it! I can’t wait to hear how you like it. I tried one at my friend’s house once and got dizzy. Apparently my balance is largely dependent on eye sight as opposed to muscles and ear Cochlea so when I am not looking, I fall flat on my face. If you surpass me on FitBit one or two things will happen. I will LOUDLY cheer you on (that one for sure) and perhaps you will goad me into increased miles (less likely). Woo Hoo!!!

  9. Just a quick comment on the Legos. My 8th Grader took Lego Robotics too. The 6th and 7th graders were in competitions. As an 8th grade student, the Robotics leader said she didn’t want older students in her group so he is out of luck this year. Next year, as a 9th grader, our son will be able to go into high school level robotics.

    Anyway, as an 8th grader, our son still has a huge box of legos in a plastic bin under his bed. He will often build something on his own. We got him some of the Lego NXT stuff two years ago so he could make and program his own robots. It is a little spendy but makes a great birthday or Christmas gift.

    Enjoyed the podcast, as always!

  10. Still laughing about Annie Smith…I’m only slightly tipsy after this episode instead of blacked out in a ditch! LOL!!

    Great episode – I actually remembered a bunch of my comments until I got home to the computer.

    1) Legos – you’re never too old. By the time you think you might be, you have children who want them. My nephew just got the giant bag with all of my brother’s old ones, and is beside himself with joy. It’s an embarrassment of riches for a 7yo boy.

    2) Love the man cave idea. Hilarious. As a mom of boys just a little older than yours, I can tell you it’s totally worth it to be the house where your kids like to hang out. You get to know their friends, their parents, and which ones you might let your kids go on vacation with. Feed them and they are yours! Also, it’s way easier to just let them all spend the night than to stay up worrying if everyone got home safely or waiting for your kid to arrive.

    2a) The mini fridge is a great gift for when you are completely stumped for ideas. Boys especially get to an age where they don’t really want or need anything. I bought the fridge out of sheer desperation one year on Christmas Eve and filled it with Dr. Pepper. To this day, the boys and their friends think we’re so cool for that – and it was only only about $150 bucks. Worth it.

    3) I like the brains but agree they’d be better in white. I admire your patience in ripping them all out. At my house that’s what we call a UFO.

    4) Decluttering – I love the feeling, but blame you for the fact that we spent our Saturday pulling everything out of the kitchen cabinets. You planted that seed in my head and I couldn’t get it out. I’m only wondering how you got my husband to think it was a good idea???

    5) This should totally count as five entries into the drawing. I’m just saying.

  11. I was so happy when you did NOT mention my name for the FitBit new friend who is killing it. Shortly after you accepted my friend request I went to Europe and was walking over 10,000 steps most days, once over 20,000. I was right up there at the top…now I’ve come home and am a mere mortal again. 🙂

    De-cluttering stopped being much of a problem when I moved in with my husband about 5 years ago. He’s a neat freak, I am….not. I threw out a lot of my things (including books and I am a librarian so that was hard) but it’s really been all for the better…however still a challenge. What’s nice is it doesn’t take much at all to feel ready for company.

    Love your podcast. Thanks for keeping me company.

    Alison G

  12. Your podcast kept me company today as I packed moving boxes and threw out tons of junk so I totally get your de cluttering theme.

    I don’t think your Medellin looks like brains but I agree that it may have looked better in white or in a shape that echoed the background shape more. Good luck with the reverse quilting.

  13. Frances, I was chatting with my dd last Saturday and she was saying she looked forward to living with a significant other or a husband so she could finally have “good tupperware” that would stay in pairs in their places, I laughed at her then told her marriage was no guarantee about that kind of stuff.

    You started talking about your husband ‘using your stuff’ and I snorted out my coffee! I called dd and we laughed so long! Thank you for your honest sharing of life.

    And sharing your quilting, too.

    How is your mom?

  14. Hi Frances, I love your podcast. I’ve been listening for many years and I enjoy hearing about your quilts, your life and the books you are reading. I feel like we are friends. I plan to ‘friend’ you on FITBIT and I’m sure I will not ‘charge ahead’ of you. By the way, I live in south central PA. Thanks for hours of entertainment. Sherry

  15. Love you podcast, you could talk everyday and I would listen! I ordered Jenny Doan’s binding tool, a wonderful thing, but every time I use it I have to watch her tutorial and follow it step by step..

  16. I’m the Jackie B you mentioned on Fitbit. I had to go check the standings. 🙂 My DH also knows not to touch things in my studio, including putting unwanted items on my tables! Enjoy listening.

  17. Hi, Frances! I had to stop working on a table runner in order to address your Lego question. As the mother of three, two of which are boys (one in college, the other graduated from college this year, YAY!), I recommend that you do not get rid of the Legos until after they have gone through high school. They become valuable tools for things like science projects, particularly physics assignments. The small ones do not take up that much room if thrown in one box. Duplos? Get rid of ’em.

    I quite like your round brain quilted motif, but I’m sure you will figure something out that will be more pleasing to you : )

  18. hi Frances, its taken me a while to make a comment on your podcast. I had lots of things that I was going to say as I listened but since I listen while I am walking or sewing or doing housework I don’t stop and do it then. And by the time I am on the computer I forgot what I was going to say. I hope your walking desk works out well for you… looking forward to you creaming me with your step count. I gave my husband a fitbit for fathers day (1st Sunday in September in Australia) and he is usually heaps of steps ahead of me. I have overtaken him the last few days cause he has been working flat strap helping our daughter move into her new home, putting furniture together, putting up curtain rails etc and not had time to walk the dogs with me.

  19. Frances, I also do not mind unquiting or ripping out stitches. I find it relaxing to sit in front of the tv and rip. Thanks for offering this giveaway. Love your podcast and have been listening since day 1.

  20. Hi Frances.
    Thank you for the compliments on our Scottish accents but I would say that our accents are like everyone else’s. Some are fine and others are really rough and incomprehensible.
    However since you like Scottish accents and books you may enjoy the BBC Radio 4 monthly podcast “Bookclub”. The host is James Naughtie(not pronounced naughty and I can’t think how to explain its pronunciation other than to say “naugh” sounds like loch but with an “n”. Anyway he introduces himself at the beginning of the podcast so you’ll catch it there.) He invites an author a month to come along and answer questions about one of their books from both an invited audience and himself. The authors can have a new book just published or it can be a much loved favourite. The podcast has been going for a while so there is a back catalogue.

  21. Love your podcast. I can only think of one thing worse than ripping seams…that would be taking out quilting, even for a good reason.

  22. Yay for Lego Robotics! My husband is a professor here and is very involved in getting kids interested in engineering by establishing lego robotic programs in local schools. He’s also establishing a regional competition at RPI here in NY for the high school robotics programs. No idea if you should save legos or not. As always, love your podcast! I started reading Me Before You on your recommendation and am loving it. In your spare time (!), I’d love to see what other books you’ve read in the past that you highly recommend. Probably I could find these on Goodreads? Sorry, no quilting in this comment!

  23. This is probably 1 of 12 comments. You can get in touch with me and I can help you with the joining of binding ends. I always struggle, sitting at the machine with the directions and the tool and the noise off and everyone out of the house. I get it done and the Fons & Porter tool helps.

    Also, people don’t always learn mitered corners. I think it is pretty common NOT to learn. Mostly, I think people learn to quilt by doing a project rather than doing a program, like the way I teach a sampler, that takes a long time, but ends up with a quilt and the skills to do almost every technique.

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