Somethings About Me

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Jolly Jinny Jungle Quilt--A Finally Finish

It's almost the end of April and this is my first and maybe my only post for this month. April was not the month for time spent quilting but rather too much time spent on getting the taxes prepared and filed and having the pleasure of seeing my Granddaughter, Micah every weekend this month which was the first time this ever happened and I hope it won't be the last time.  There was only two finally finishes for April, this quilt, the Jolly Jinny Jungle (JJJ) quilt and another Chicago Cubs baby quilt which may be another post for another day.  I'm calling this a DrEAMi project even though the JJJ quilt was started almost a year ago last May. It was finally made possible when two quilting forces somehow collided: one being after many years of being gifted these wonderful fabrics (and feeling guilty) from my good quilting friend, Carol,  and the another, Sandra, who hosts the monthly DrEAMi linky party, and who I also refer to as the Master mmmEnabler, thought I could use some yardage of green batik fabrics she was selling for a friend who was destashing, which meant this quilt had to be made. Sandra now has a new title--mmmPetus--yep, she does make things happen.
Good quilting friend Carol and I have known each other for twenty years and we spent some wonderful years working together at a quilt shop and share some of the same tastes in fabrics.  Jinny Beyer fabrics was one of the first line of fabrics we both purchased and there was a time when my quilts always included one of her fabrics. Even though it has been years since Carol and I worked together, we still get together for lunch and even a class with Kaffe Fassett. When we travel, we always buy something for each other since our travels always include going to a quilt shop.  Carol visits her son and family in Virginia so she makes regular stops at Jinny Beyer's quilt shop and most of these fabrics shown above, some Jinny fabrics and some batiks or tone on tones, are from there.  Carol knows that I love green so most of the time my gift of fabric is green.  I've always kept my gifts from Carol in a separate bin in anticipation of one day making a quilt with them.  And if these green fabrics weren't enough, I've already accumulated a lot of green fabrics, in all shades, design, pattern, etc. and I used to always pick up some green when shopping but made myself stop because I have found that whenever I needed a "certain" green for a project, I never had it, so I figured I might as well wait until I needed that "certain" green.
This is a Jinny Beyer print which I had yardage of and I've included plain rectangles of it in the quilt since this ties in all of the different shades of green together.  This piece came with a kit for an ironing pad bag and much as I would have liked to have used it for its intended purpose I really needed to use it for the JJJ quilt.  Carol would understand and this isn't the first time I've raided a kit. I like to name my quilts and the only problem I had this time was choosing which one I came up with in the course of eleven months. Since starting this quilt, I've changed it several times; the first name that came into mind was Postcards from Carol, since at that time I was finishing up my Postcards from Sweden QAL quilt and then there was How Green Is My Quilt, since this is a very green quilt but I finally settled on Jolly Jinny Jungle.  The Jolly is for the Jolly Green Giant and all of the Ho, Ho, Ho, Green Quilt which my mind was saying/singing, Jinny because I just had to include her very cool name and Jungle just because I like alliteration in my quilt names and Tarzan wasn't going to work.

So to give a timeline as to the making of the JJJ quilt, after the backing was received was Sandra, I drew up a design of HRTs, since I like the look of HRTs and could die-cut them and rectangles on graph paper.  The design was helpful for me to determine the color combinations and how many HRTs to die cut and rectangles to rotary cut. The patches were sewn together from last May through June and then sat in the basket until November when the HRTs and rectangles were sewn together into 6" x 12"(f) blocks which may have gotten done because this was one of the projects I could sew while recuperating from last Fall's fractured knee.
After the blocks rested for another four months, I finally finished the top at the very end of March.  The quilt measures 54" x 72".  I ended up not following my design exactly and just letting the blocks decide where they wanted to go.
The machine quilting was organic, curvy waves approximately .75" apart and the thread was a bright Olive Green which is no longer available from Connecting Threads.  The binding is yardage from Gail Kessler's Dimple line and after looking through my four bins of green I was getting afraid of not having that "certain" green and glad I found something which went with the quilt.  I'm still not a big fan of scrappy binding as well as scrappy backing.
And this is the backing I pieced from the yardage purchased via Sandra.  I knew when I saw it that it would work with the other green fabrics.

In case, you noticed that there was too much fingers showing in the holding up of this quilt, it's because the Master Quilt Holder was busy barbequing and I wanted to take photos while the Sun was still out.  The Apprentice Quilt Holder, aka Demando, was asked to take the photos while I held up the quilt and it was not easy especially when the Apprentice is taking time doing selfies and photos of his sidekick, Duke.  I so appreciate the Master Quilt Holder now and understand his complaints that holding up quilts wasn't easy.  I also feel bad for the times I took my time taking photos because I wanted to drive my point of wanting a clothes line.  And if you're wondering why the Apprentice didn't hold up the quilt, as mentioned before, the Sun was still going strong at 6pm and if I had asked him to hold up the quilt, he would have complained until the Sun did go down, thus ruining the photo op. I don't think he's ever going to be a Master like his father so that's another reason for my needing a clothesline.

BTW: last year, Carol and I came to an agreement/understanding which may have been initiated by me not to buy each other any more "gifts" but leave it to her to already break it.  We're meeting for lunch soon and she mentioned that there was a little something from Jinny.  I hope it goes with the other fabrics I still have in my gift stash.

Sandra's newest QAL, Beothuk Stars, has just started and I'll need to do some catch-up when I return from my one-week visit with Micah who's doing a great job of grandparent sitting. I'm looking forward to making this quilt since I'm using Carrie Bloomston fabrics which I've been accumulating for awhile now--no Carol involvement this time, but yes for Sandra for being an mmmPetus.

23 comments:

  1. Wow, this is an amazing quilt!! The colors and fabrics are fabulous (and this is from someone who doesn't usuallly like green) and your design of the HRTs is really interesting and neat. Perfect finish for spring!

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  2. I have the same issue with my substitute quilt holders and I have learned to appreciate my Master quilt holder as well! I just love your quilt and really think you should write up a pattern for it. The jungle is well represented here.

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  3. Delicious! I love this quilt and the name is perfect! My mini quilt for this month has a lot of green in it. Must be a spring thing! This is just gorgeous!

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  4. See? I knew I liked you, because you have progressions of quilt names dancing in your head too -- I enjoyed reading your thinking process. Your JJJ quilt is great; love all the greens playing together. Love Sandra's new name too -- very appropriate! :-D You gotta admit, though, Demando takes pretty fun selfies (and the doggie is cute)!

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  5. Lovely finish Rose! I have a half rectangle block on my must-try list!

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  6. I think its a beautiful quilt that was so worth finishing! I've been wanting to make a half rectangle quilt for so long, you inspired me to quit thinking about it and do it!!

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  7. Love the greens and how well you work with color.

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  8. Hi Rose! What a wonderful newsy post. I wondered what happened to you, but I of course assumed it was grandparent watching by Micah. I'm certain she does a fabulous, bang up job! Your quilt is just fab - look at all the different blocks in this!! I love all the greens, and if someone didn't know you adored green they would after looking at this stunning piece. I hope this is for you - it's nice to remember all the fun times with Carol and Sandra, too. One can still hope the Apprentice will eventually understand the importance and timing needed in quilt display, and I agree with the chant that you NEED a clothesline. I do too! Enjoy that sweet girl. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  9. mmmPetus! LOL! JJJ is a great grassy green delight. Love all those rectangles and diamonds and half rectangles. Great job :)

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  10. Rose, reading your blog is like reading a chapter in a favorite book. Very creative and green quilt you designed. Great job hanging in their to the finish line. LOL--taking selfies while he was on quilt photograph duty!

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  11. What a stunning quilt--I am loving all those shades of green just beautiful work hugs, Julierose

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  12. Oh do I hear you on the picking up lots of greens as you travel but never seeming to have that 'certain' one!!! Most aggravating. Having to go out to another QS to find just that specific one, and, as Helen of Midget Gem likes to say, it would be rude to buy just one small piece of fabric, right? mmm-Petus!!! That's hilarious, and yeah, guilty as charged. Love how you come up with quilt names; we should have you in our design group to name our quilts as there have been several occasions where we've said, can't think of a name... I just love the movement here, the lines I see and then I don't, the shapes that go in and out. I love hearing it hark back to Postcards (gotta make me another since I gave mine away), and you make me think hmm, I've never done an entire HRT quilt...maybe I should for the try something new challenge at IB. Glad to see that pieced back; that green was perfection!

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  13. What a fun post, and equally fun quilt you made! The greens are wonderful. Who knew that HRTs could make so many different shapes?

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  14. I love this phrase, "...just letting the blocks decide where they wanted to go." Sounds like the artist in you! I love it!

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  15. How wonderful to have a longtime quilter friend! Your quilt will be all the more treasured when you look at it. It's a lovely combination of greens. The Jinny Beyer green fabric really does tie it all together.

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  16. Such a fun quilt! I'm loving the greens, and enjoyed seeing your "helpers!!"

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  17. How neat that you’ve had Micah babysit you so many times in one month. We’ve happened to see a lot of our Grands, too. The only downside of that was having to clean up the house two of those times so it would be kiddie friendly (and habitable) but that’s okay, too. I’m a big green fan, so I love your quilt with the full range—that one fabric is wonderful for tying it all together. So sweet that your friend collects all those bits of green for you— and that you were able to make use of that stash from Sandra’s friend. Yay for you holding the quilt yourself, even if your photographer was a bit less than helpful. Quilts are heavy! A clothesline. Ah, we can only dream.

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  18. This post was so cute Rose. I smiled through the entirety of it. Love the greens - so nice for springtime. All those triangles are great - good job! Love the Bloomston fabrics you are using for Beothuk. That is going to be a great one too.

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  19. Hopping over from Cheryl's Favorite Finish link party. Your green quilt caught my eye because green is my favorite color too. I even started a new Instagram account based so far on all things green around my house. It's @springleafcolor in case you are on IG Your green diamonds are just lovely and put all those gifted fabrics to good use. Well done.

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  20. Gorgeous green quilt. The backing is just as pretty as the front. Green is also my favorite color.

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  21. What a stunning quilt. I love the back story to it as well. I also love the fabrics you are using for Sandra's quilt along. Red Yellow and Blue go so well together.

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  22. Beautifully done!!! Love it.

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  23. I'm looking over your whole site and find it wonderful. I can't imagine anyone making all these quilts, I'm so slow. You have given me inspiration both in design and color. Thank you so much for sharing.

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