Tuesday, March 4, 2014

My Quilt Bucket List

This March The Tilted Quilt is having a link up party/blog hop dedicated to our quilty bucket lists.  Maybe you have a stack of patterns and books with quilts you'd love to make or maybe you have a quilty goal that you'd like to reach?  In the spirit of this quilty party I'd like to share my bucket list with you.


One Block Wonder or Stack & Whack

I absolutely love the look of these quilts, especially when done in black and white.  It makes me think of the pure joy I feel when I'm standing in the falling snow surrounded by the beautiful, unique snowflakes.  And just like a snowflake, each block will be unique! I bought the ruler to do one at MQX last year but I still haven't found the perfect black and white fabric to cross this one off of the bucket list.


Dear Jane

Amazingly enough, this one isn't only on my bucket list.  It's also on my husbands!  He loves this quilt and would be so happy for me to complete one.  I have the book I got it at VQF a few years ago but I find the very scale of this quilt daunting.  I actually had the opportunity to see the original Dear Jane late last year and it's further cemented this quilt on my bucket list. But there is a lot of mental roadblocks to be overcome before I feel I can begin this one.


Farmer's Wife

Another Big Sampler (also on my husbands bucket list for me to make).  I read through the entire book two years ago; another find at VQF.  I loved the letters that inspired this quilt and can't wait to get started on it.  I'm actually planning on starting this one this year! I just need to choose some fabrics and get going.



Cathedral Windows

Cathedral Windows have inspired me for as long as I can remember.  I've always admired this quilt style and pined to have one of my own.  I actually started one about 4 years ago and got a total of 5 blocks in before giving up.  I don't think I was ready for it yet.  Now that I've got more quilting experience under my belt I understand the labor of love that this quilt is and know that I'll pick it back up again someday soon.



Double Wedding Ring

Is this one of those quilts on EVERYONE's bucket list?  I wanted to participate in the NYC Modern Quilt Guild Double Wedding Ring challenge this past year but just couldn't make it happen with all of the things that were happening in my life at that moment in time.  This is such an adaptable pattern, capable of being modern and traditional, that I don't think I'll have any problem crossing this one off the list.  I just need to conqueror curves first.



Medallion Quilt

Have you seen all of the medallion quilts out there right now?  The Marcelle Medallion, Midnight at the Oaisis, not to mention all of the other home-grown medallion quilts.  I love the idea of starting a quilt and just adding a little bit at a time until I'm either sick of it or convinced that it's finished.  I have the pattern for the Marcelle Medallion quilt (blue, top right below) but I'm not sure when I'll start it.


Barn Quilt

So maybe this one is cheating but it's quilt related... I am absolutely dying to have a barn quilt for our house!  My husband thinks that a barn quilt is one of those round orange and brown and white medallions that people had on their houses in the 70's but boy is he wrong.  Once we choose a vinyl siding color I'll be ready to start designing and painting a beautiful barn quilt to proudly display on the side of the house!


Have you made it this far?  Congrats and thanks for reading about my bucket list.  But there's one more thing I want to add to it:

Make A Go At It

I like my job as a data analyst.  I like going to work everyday and creating wicked awesome reports and documents to make people's lives easier.  I like that I can connect what I do directly to the patients that we serve. (I work at a hospital, btw).  I like knowing that what I do makes a difference in someone's life.  

But I love quilting.  I love art and fabric and quilt math and creativity and creating beautiful things.  So my final bucket list item is to make a living through quilting.  I don't know if it will be pattern creation, or designing fabric, or long-arm quilting, or teaching, or simply working at a company that is part of the quilting world but I do know that this is my dream and my passion.  I pray that I'll be able to find the path that will get me there.

Thanks for reading.  I hope that this inspires you to create and think about your own quilty bucket list and why the things on it are there.

Happy Quilting!



18 comments:

  1. Wonderful list - I am right there with you on the DWR, Dear Jane, Farmer's Wife!!! Love them all ~ thank you so much for sharing your list with me. I hope it is as inspiring to you as it is to me!

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    1. Thanks Stacey! I hope that some day soon I'll be able to cross all of these off of my list and replace them with even more new and exciting things to make! Good luck to you and your list!

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  2. Ambitious but exciting list! I just finished a big sampler but am curious about Dear Jane - does that book use templates? Also LOVE Barn quilts and a quilted barn quilt is on my list!!

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    1. I think that you can use templates. I haven't delved deep enough into it to know what route I'm going to take yet.

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  3. Wow you have some serious quilts listed there! I love those one block wonder quilts too, but have no clue how to make one!! Good luck with your makes :)

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    1. They are made using a larger scale fabric cut into strips from the same section of fabric then cut into triangles to make the "blocks". There are some great resources out there if you just google "One Block Wonder". I have some posted on my Pinterest page as well.

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  4. That is a pretty list! Nice variety as well :-) Good luck! Also thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. You appear as no-reply in case you are not aware ;-)

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    1. Thanks for letting me know! All fixed now. :D

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  5. I don't have an official bucket list, but if I did, I think it would be quite similar to yours. The one block wonders that you pictured - are these on your pinterest board (Assuming you have one ;-) I'd love to take a closer look at them!
    thanks!
    Happy sewing ~ Tracy

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    1. They are Tracy! You can find a link to my Pinterst pages at the top of the blog... "Jennifer on Pinterest". Thanks for visiting!

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    2. duh. I'd looked on your sidebar, not at the top. Silly me.... (and now I've spent waaayyy too long browsing your boards ;-)

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  6. I have had a Dear Jane in the back of my mind since I saw the original quilt in the museum when I was a newbie quilter. I was completely awed and overwhelmed and although I bought the book in the museum shop to enjoy, I thought at the time I would never feel ready attempt it. I have thought about opening the book and sewing from time to time but could never decide on fabrics. This morning when I woke up I had an image of a Dear Jane in modern fabrics, some that I have in my stash, and I thought, "It is time to try." I am just going to take it one stitch at a time ... :) Pat

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    1. That's been my biggest obstacle too: choosing fabrics. It's such a big project that I want to be sure I'm going to be happy with the final result.

      I saw the original this fall and it really made me think again about starting this quilt.

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  8. Wow, the quilts on your list are amazing and a little daunting for a newbie like me! Best of luck with these and your future 'quilty' career :)

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  9. I love the Dear Jane quilt. I didn't put it on my bucket list for the same reasons you haven't started yours yet. I've been intimidated by it and agonize over fabric choices. It might be added to my list in the future.

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  10. A great list. i also have Dear Jane and Cathedral Windows on mine, but not the DWR! Love those stack n whack quilts you show at the top, that's a new one on me

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