Not Just About Time

This spring has been mostly about family, beginning with a fun-packed visit from my sister-mamalaw Susie from WY, then another fun visit from my sister Karen from IN, followed by a lovely day trip to visit my niece Whitney and her husband and their new baby in another part of IN, then a trip for my sister and me to visit my my mother in TN, from which point the three of us took a gorgeous drive to NC to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins for a reunion long overdue.

Meanwhile, progress on the third quilt in the triple arched window series has been sporadic and sluggish. But it's finally pieced, sandwiched, basted and on the machine. So, what (other than time) was the issue for this third one?

To backtrack for a moment: In nine years, I've never repeated a landscape quilt. Variety is what keeps me interested. However, the last two landscapes I made did use the same arched window/opening design (see previous blog posts on Villa with a View and Wooded Villa).

Click on photo to enlarge.

I don't mind using the same cat...

Granted, a different wall fabric and background scene was used in each. But I couldn't help noticing that progress was slower on the second one. I told myself it was only because (as mentioned in the blog post Wooded Villa), I wasn't as happy with my fabric choices the second time.

Can we say "denial"? Because, due to the painfully  c r e e p i n g  progress on this third quilt, I can no longer deny that repeating even just that one design element was too much similarity for me.

Admittedly, it seemed like a real timesaver at first--one drawing for three quilts (I did re-trace new pattern pieces each time, figuring the outlines would get wonky with the second and third cuts).

This fall foliage is the top half of the panel used in Wooded Villa, the second quilt in the series.

Well, that part worked out fine. But despite the different fabric choices for each of the three quilts, the fun and interest were waning fast by this third one.

So, yet again, lesson learned...this particular lesson being one we've all heard many times: "Be true to yourself." Series landscape quilts are great--I love seeing them in magazines and have always been intrigued by the idea--but apparently I don't love making them. Nice to know for certain, though.

So, on to a new design using cooler colors--my favorites! I'm taking a hard look at this fabric combo for an underwater scene. The colors are a treat for my eyes after working with two autumn scenes.

Fusible applique prepared for cutting, using Steam-a-Seam II Lite.

So we'll see what happens with this.

Next time, hopefully, a finish for the third--and last!--quilt in the arched window series.

Have a great weekend!

Linda