Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

It’s A New Dawn, A New Day

On Saturday, I woke, still smarting from my sewing fiasco of the previous day.  I lay in bed, fuming at my sloppy work, my lack of planning and my wasteful use of both time and fabric.  Then, I remembered something. 

The lovely Cheryl, my friend from Gran's Quilting Place, had recently sent me some gorgeous fat quarters from a group called Spice Market by Exclusively Quilters.  Really beautiful fabric.   This black print is my favorite.  I believe this is my inspiration print for my second attempt at the A Year of Schnibbles project!

Spicemarket black print

I flew out of bed, hair wild, and ran to the sewing room, only pausing to grab some coffee on the way.  Sophie was in hot pursuit, nipping at my nightgown hem, trying to herd me into sensibility.  I rushed past my son in the hallway.  "Mom?  Are you ok?"   No, I hadn't lost my mind, although I may have been singing for joy. 

"It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good"

You see, I had an Idea.  An Inspiration.  Yesterday's failure didn't matter anymore.  I was ready to begin anew.  Thank you Cheryl!

I had my inspiration fabric, but needed to pick some tone on tones from my stash to coordinate with it.  Shop at home, Friends, it is amazing what you already have on hand.  I found a rusty red and an olive green for my Flying Geese.  I used a paisley fat quarter from Spice Market (also from Cheryl) and some beautiful Sandy Gervais golds from a previous group of hers.

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Now I am cooking with gas.  Except for the issue of my horribly executed Flying Geese.  How was I going to rectify that problem?

In Carrie's Schnibble pattern Winter White, the first Year of Schnibbles project, she mentions a new tool called Fit to be Geese.  As a matter of fact, Carrie actually SENT me this tool a couple of months ago!  (Do I have great friends or what?)  Obviously, the method I had been using for flying geese was not serving me well, so I got out the Mini Fit to be Geese ruler and gave it a try.  Thank you Carrie.

Oh good gravy, what a difference in the quality of my flying geese.  You see, with this method, you make the geese BIGGER and use the ruler to Trim Them Down.  Results:  Perfect Flying Geese every time.  Every single one, identical in size and shape to the others.  No wonky geese.

Before trimming.  (See, they are a bit wonky at the top.  Doesn't matter).

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Being trimmed.  (It is as simple as lining up the marks on the ruler).

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Perfect little goslings.  Perfect 3 1/2 inch square flying geese unit for blocks.

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You must try this tool.  It is made by Monique of Open Gate.  There are two sizes, a mini size and a larger size.  This ruler has made all the difference.  Thank you Monique.

Check back tomorrow.  I hope to have a finished block to show you.

Life is good again.

PS:  Yesterday's post garnered a number of comments from people who, while not exactly scolding me for tossing the poorly made flying geese, expressed dismay that I had "wasted" them.  Couldn't I use them in some other way?  On the back of a quilt maybe?  Couldn't I "donate them to a charitable organization"?  "Turn them into potholders?"

No.

The units were poorly made and not worthy of any project that has my name on it.  The units were not consistent in size, and the blocks they were used in were consequently not uniform in size.  It was a shame that I rushed the project and therefore did not do my best work.   It is a pity that the fabric was wasted.  

But that is the way it is.

I should have known any Flying Geese made out of a fabric group called Gobble Gobble would turn out to be turkeys.

 

46 responses to “It’s A New Dawn, A New Day”

  1. The “new” fabric you chose to use is so beautiful it makes up for the “turkey” geese fiasco!
    BTW, there are times I toss the whole caboodle, but in the photo from yesterday they didn’t really look that bad:)

  2. The “new” fabric you chose to use is so beautiful it makes up for the “turkey” geese fiasco!
    BTW, there are times I toss the whole caboodle, but in the photo from yesterday they didn’t really look that bad:)

  7. Love the turkey comment! Made my day. And it is ok to throw away fabric. It’s yours. Besides I sew for enjoyment, I don’t know about you and it wouldn’t be fun to try and deal with them!

  8. Love the turkey comment! Made my day. And it is ok to throw away fabric. It’s yours. Besides I sew for enjoyment, I don’t know about you and it wouldn’t be fun to try and deal with them!

  11. Nicole . . . I love the fabrics you chose to go with the fat quarters . . . hmmm . . . I must “shop” in my stash too !!
    about throwing away your pieces . . . when I took my first photography classes . . . the instructor told us to choose the best 4 photos from a roll and throw out the rest . . . he said . . . “don’t let them haunt you” . . . move on !!
    of course today . . . we have digital and that helps . . . hmmm “digital fabric” someday . . . LOL . . .

  12. Nicole . . . I love the fabrics you chose to go with the fat quarters . . . hmmm . . . I must “shop” in my stash too !!
    about throwing away your pieces . . . when I took my first photography classes . . . the instructor told us to choose the best 4 photos from a roll and throw out the rest . . . he said . . . “don’t let them haunt you” . . . move on !!
    of course today . . . we have digital and that helps . . . hmmm “digital fabric” someday . . . LOL . . .

  13. These fabrics are great…can’t wait to see your quilt! And thanks for the info on the ruler…I had been debating whether or not to try it…and now I will!

  14. These fabrics are great…can’t wait to see your quilt! And thanks for the info on the ruler…I had been debating whether or not to try it…and now I will!

  15. I’ve tried that ruler and love it! They come out perfect…your new fabric is awesome! This Schnibble is going to be gorgeous.

  16. I’ve tried that ruler and love it! They come out perfect…your new fabric is awesome! This Schnibble is going to be gorgeous.

  21. Now that’s what I’m talking about! The Nicole that we all love is back in action. The focus fabric is divine and I can’t wait to see this quilt. I must get those rulers!

  22. Now that’s what I’m talking about! The Nicole that we all love is back in action. The focus fabric is divine and I can’t wait to see this quilt. I must get those rulers!

  23. Sometimes it just takes a folly to generate an inspiration, Nicole! I’m so happy that you’re off and running on a very luscious looking project!
    Cheers!

  24. Sometimes it just takes a folly to generate an inspiration, Nicole! I’m so happy that you’re off and running on a very luscious looking project!
    Cheers!

  25. Beautiful fabric and geese! I loved your turkey comment. 🙂 And ordered the Fit to be geese templates right away – thanks for the tip!

  26. Beautiful fabric and geese! I loved your turkey comment. 🙂 And ordered the Fit to be geese templates right away – thanks for the tip!

  27. I think I might have to have one of those little geese tools-how cool! Your new fabric choices are beautiful-I absolutely love that black one! I could drape that all over my house and be totally happy! Can’t wait to see the finished project! Mine is cut…better get to that!

  28. I think I might have to have one of those little geese tools-how cool! Your new fabric choices are beautiful-I absolutely love that black one! I could drape that all over my house and be totally happy! Can’t wait to see the finished project! Mine is cut…better get to that!

  29. It’s going to be beautiful and the frustration of the first attempt will be long forgotten. I have another Flying Geese ruler… I wonder if this one by Open Gate would be any better? Of course it always helps to USE it.

  30. It’s going to be beautiful and the frustration of the first attempt will be long forgotten. I have another Flying Geese ruler… I wonder if this one by Open Gate would be any better? Of course it always helps to USE it.

  31. I see nothing wrong with the geese from yesterday’s post but if you say so. These new geese look great. Another tool for my list. 😀

  32. I see nothing wrong with the geese from yesterday’s post but if you say so. These new geese look great. Another tool for my list. 😀

  33. We as quilters do not have to keep every single thing we have ever bought or made….if something didn’t work, toss it. If you changed your mind about a piece of fabric, it’s ok…..not to be wasteful, but we just can not keep every single thing…..we’ve all been there.

  34. We as quilters do not have to keep every single thing we have ever bought or made….if something didn’t work, toss it. If you changed your mind about a piece of fabric, it’s ok…..not to be wasteful, but we just can not keep every single thing…..we’ve all been there.

  35. Holy guacamole, do I have to get one of those! I can’t make straight flying geese to save my life. It’s still bugging me you threw all those away. Are you sure you can’t salvage them? Maybe cut them down and make something else out of them?

  36. Holy guacamole, do I have to get one of those! I can’t make straight flying geese to save my life. It’s still bugging me you threw all those away. Are you sure you can’t salvage them? Maybe cut them down and make something else out of them?

  41. Spice Market…that’s the first I’ve seen or heard of that, but I like it!
    I can’t wait to see it finished!
    I’m happy you’re back on track!

  42. Spice Market…that’s the first I’ve seen or heard of that, but I like it!
    I can’t wait to see it finished!
    I’m happy you’re back on track!

  45. I think on my next geese project, I’ll invest in that tool b/c I’m not really happy with my Schnibbles, but I’m not starting over either. Thanks for sharing!

  46. I think on my next geese project, I’ll invest in that tool b/c I’m not really happy with my Schnibbles, but I’m not starting over either. Thanks for sharing!