Background Fabric For Dahlia Quilt

Today has been busy as I spent the morning in Omaha. Not quilt shopping but Blu-ray shopping.

Yesterday was spent doing some quilt shopping though. I really haven't been in a quilt store in a long time. I bought the fat quarters for this project but it wasn't really fun. I knew this may not end well either since I wanted a background for my dahlia and may not find the right color.

The problem I find with color isn't always the color, it's that most fabrics have a medium value to it. Line up several bolts of different colored fabric the next time you walk into a store, step back 10 feet and see if they all seem to be the same in intensity. The pink will look just the same as the blue as it does the green and it all looks muddy.

I put up my dahlia next to several fabrics and nothing works. I knew that because I had light petals, I needed a dark background so they would stand out. However; the middle is dark and I didn't want to lose that either. Again, everything ranges in "medium". I finally pull out a dark blue/green Fossil Fern and decided I liked it.

My camera had a hard time picking up the true color of the fabric and added a grain to the picture, but you get the idea. Right now I'm piecing the outside edge to make it a circle. I've got two done.

From Quilted with Love

Hopefully; I pulled this off for a background color.

Movies:

I picked up my Steelbook DVD edition of GI Joe at Suncoast Video:

From Blu-Ray Photos

And if you loved the old Disney Zorro TV show this is an absolute must have DVD set:

From Blu-Ray Photos

Dalhia Center, Crocheting and Tinkerbell

My inlaws were over last weekend and my FIL's wife taught my 12-year-old daughter to crochet. She's working on a scarf. Here it is:

From Quilted with Love

I know how to crochet. I just don't like counting and my daughter is learning that as well. She's taken this scarf apart 3 times because of it. Knitting is the same way. If you can't count, don't bother learning these skills.

I've got two more seams to finish on my Dahlia quilt but it's close enough to show you what it looks like:

From Quilted with Love

After I get those seams done, I need to find a suitable background, finish the Dalhia to get a circle and add the rest of the bacground. Had I figured out the background fabric, I would have had the background already sewn into the Dahlia.

On the movie side:

Tomorrow GI Joe comes out and will pick that up either tomorrow or Wednesday. If you live near a FYE or a Suncoast Video, you can get a Steelbook edition of it on DVD. Steelbooks are metal cases and way cool. I'm picking up the Steelbook and DH is getting the Blu-ray. You know you are pathetic when you "double dip" movies meaning you buy them more than once.

Disney has put out a limited edition of the Zorro TV show on DVD and those have been shipped out as well. They should get here Wednesday.

If you REALLY need a giggle, I was reading through some Blu-ray forums and I couldn't believe all the guys (hundreds) who were buying Tinkerbell And The Lost Treasure on Blu-ray and they don't even have little girls. Disney has a 10 dollar off coupon and these guys were so excited and happily printing off the coupon! I was rolling in laughter reading the thread.

Blu-ray forums are 99.99% male dominated and it's fascinating to read how men truly think about movies, especially ones you wouldn't think they'd fight over. Feeling depressed? Read through a few posts.

Aligning Center Dahlia Pieces

I decided I was determined to get those pieces to meet up. I took out two pieces of the center so I had 8 pieces on each side. I aligned up the center in a swirl, pinned the two halves together and started sewing down the middle. When I got the center, I carefully went through the middle of each section and then came out the other side and finished the seam. It's not perfect, but I figure if it doesn't look great, I can sew in a beautiful pink or blue button that would set off the center.

I still need to sew the other half of the center to the dahlia petals, but the center is pieced. I have the outside to work on and then figure out the background.

I'm crawling back into bed now. This has wiped me out and it took me about 20-30 minutes to do this. I may see a doc tomorrow about being sick. Thankfully; I don't have a sinus infection but this isn't getting any better.

From Quilted with Love

Center Complications

You'll have to forgive me. I'm still fighting off a cold from the after affects of the flu. Go figure. I get the flu and do pretty good. It gives me a cold and I'm miserable. If this turns into a sinus infection I'll really be nasty.

I'm still figuring out the dahlia center and know the center is going to be a mess. I forgot that you need to "halve" the section in two and sew down the middle for an even seam. However; sixteen pieces meeting perfectly in the center isn't aligning well.

I'm going to have to email a couple of quilting experts to see if there's a way to work this out. If this isn't going to work, I thought about making the center one piece, adding the seam allowance and carefully working my way around the center. Then I worry about the probability of stretched biases.

I'll figure it out. Eventually. Or cheat and fuse something for the center with some applique work. It's 2009. Cheating is allowed now.

Center Of My Dahlia

Feeling TONS better. I've been working on this most of the evening:

From Quilted with Love

So far the middle is good. I've been taking my time and trying very hard not to stretch the seams. I found if I did it in sets of two, I didn't stretch it as much. Any more than two at a time made for awkward attempts at inset seams. I've got 9 done right now. I haven't sewn up the entire dahlia so I don't get stuck in the middle.

I am loving the pink center. The flash makes it much lighter than it is. I wasn't sure at first, but it really sets off the inner colors. I still need one more outer color and a background to finish up. I'd like a green so I have leaves.

My hand piecing is still really bad. It's so awkward. Even after all this work I really struggle. I've also realized I haven't pulled the thread tight enough through the pieces. I may have to go back and touch up a few spots. I've reinforced the set-in seams though.

Getting Center Done On Dahlia Quilt

I had to edit my post...sigh. It's not in the cards to have that movie.

On the quilting side I've been working on the center of my Dahlia Quilt:

From Quilted with Love

I have no clue how 16 centers are going to meet in the center nicely. This has all been inset seams as well. It's not hard, it just means being careful and trying not to stretch the bias. I'm not sure this is going to work very well. Even if you fold the seams all to one side in a pinwheel fashion, it won't lay flat.

I had tried making a tutorial movie to make one of these, but my daughter has shaky hands and I'm sicker than I thought. I think we all have H1N1. My kids has been out of school all week. The school has just been extremely grateful that I've kept my kids home instead of sending them anyway. Half of the school kids are out sick right now.

Getting My Dahlia Quilt Sewn Up

I haven't disappeared. I'm just terrible at hand piecing and I've been watching too many movies like Gremlins, Wizard of Oz, and The Dark Crystal. I have a stack of movies still needing to be watched and Tuesday is new release day for Snow White.. Oops..this my quilting blog..LOL.

I've gotten this much hand pieced. My points meet, but they have small holes. I may have to take my sewing machine and do a quick stitch over them for stabilization. Even stitches are not my forte.

I still haven't figured out a center and background. When I get closer to finishing the circle, I'll try out some more fabrics. I haven't pressed anything because it's all on the bias. I've tried not to fiddle with it too much for the same reason.

DH asked what I wanted for my birthday today, but he said I couldn't have a kitty. I told him I'll figure out something in the next few days and get back to him. Probably background fabric for this quilt.