Sunday, February 27, 2011

BAPs are Not Conducive to Blogging

Trying to work on a BAP (big a$$ed project for those who don't know the lingo), is not conducive to blogging at all.  I stitch and stitch and don't see much progress at all.   So therefore, not much to show.  It's not like I can stitch little motifs here and there filling up the linen.  No, I've been toiling with fill-in and back stitching and lettering (have I ever mentioned that I hate backstitching?).  My needle flies, but not fast enough.  But I'm getting closer - little by little.

When we last left Ann (sounds like a Soap Opera, doesn't it?), she looked like this:


She is now looking like this:


She finally has some facial expression (I think she's eyeballing the fisherman), and her body is almost complete (although there is - yes - more backstitching to look like folds in her gown), and there was a lot of catch up wording done on the verses on the right.  You can imagine my excitement when I got to the letter "Y" which is what is showing on the right (minus the beginning letters of each word - they're done in a different color).  I was excited.  I was doing a happy dance!!  Imagine Snoppy with his head pointed to the heavens, his arms flung wide and a smile on his face -  that was me!!  Until I flipped over the page and discovered..........horror of horrors...............Miss Ann Medd - stinker that she is, or should I say, was - decided that she needed to put two Y's in her sampler!!!!  One just wasn't enough.  Well, quite honestly it wasn't because the wording wouldn't have made it to the bottom if she didn't do something.  With that discovery, I gently put her down and left the room.  My elation deflated!

I've been dreaming of doing other samplers - ones that have caught my eye - Susanna Rambo, Ann Grant and the list goes on and on..........but they're going to have wait.  I see many bloggers starting these beauties and I'm jealous.  Insanely jealous.  But I continue on.  I love you Ann - I truly do - but you're a stinker!!  I'm being cautiously optimistic though and am thinking that she can be finished by the time Spring arrives.  Very cautiously optimistic.  That's about three weeks - can I do it??

So to console myself I buried myself and my sorrows in my craft room.  So many unfinished projects.  We do all know that I'm a habitual starter, but the basket with all things cut out was overflowing, so I finally decided that I needed to make space so I could cut out more (like those pesky FW and CW blocks that keep arriving in my mailbox).  So I finally put together the Basket Case quilt:

 Basket Case
Pattern by Cluck, Cluck, Sew
Bliss Fabrics

Then I went back to the red and white quilt since the border fabric finally showed up (sorry for the less than perfect photo set up with the folds in it):

Yellow Brick Road Pattern
Mostly Moda and French General Fabrics

I really love this quilt a lot and think that it will hang from a rack in my craft room.

Then I finally finished up the quilt for my daughter:

Not the best picture as the wind was blowing just a little too much and kept throwing it off the holly bush.  Here's a better one (somewhat):

Turning Twenty Pattern
Pillow and Maxfield Whimsy Fabric

All these of these were a welcome relief from the Farmer's Wife blocks and the Civil War blocks.  Basket Case was made from a jelly roll (most of the cutting done for you), and the other two were just cutting different sized blocks!  A lot of fun, but now I need to get them off to the quilters and get down to business on all those tiny FW blocks!!

So that's all the news that fit to report right now.  The weather is being its typical Michigan self.  Almost a foot of snow last weekend with more during the week here and there, and now we're in for heavy rain and thunderstorms!  Crazy!  But you should have heard the birds singing this morning.  They know that Spring is just around the corner - and for that I'm very thankful!!!

Thank you for all your great comments on my last post.  I'm always tickled to receive them.  They definitely keep me going - and with Ann I need all the cheering on I can get!!

49 comments:

gracie said...

Does Ann have ideas for the fisherman....? I see a big change...you have been very busy and the quilts are lovely....

Cath said...

Great progress , keep it up . Love all the quilts too . X

Hazel said...

Stunning but you are absolutely right in that it is hard to blog them. I read on another blog the other day about how they loved looking at little snippets of people's lives on their blogs and so I now and again post non stitchy posts. It is prob really boring for people haha but I don't care because it makes memories for me. I love Ann Grant and my husband also picked it out as one he liked. Maybe maybe.....xxx

Barbi said...

You had a great deal of progress on Ann. But I concur, I don't see lots of progress on my BAP's either, but then once I have posted it and blogged about it...I try for once a week, I do see the difference. It just doesn't seem like much to ourselves. She looks great!

Margaret said...

Ann is looking great!! I'll root you on -- you can do it! Just think how happy you'll be when she's done. Talk about a Snoopy happy dance! :D Love those quilts you made. They are gorgeous!! Did you DD pick the fabrics for her quilt? I love all your fabric choices. We're supposed to get rain too -- let's hope spring comes early!

Nancy said...

There was much progress to be seen on Ann...Keep at her and she will be finished by Spring! Love the quilts too, you have been really, really busy! Thanks for sharing!!

Rugs and Pugs said...

Deb ~
What you accomplish simply amazes me! All those quilts. And Ann Medd. I don't remember the size, I just remember BIG!!! I always hated the backstitch, too, and I'm not fond of filling in either :)
Our Ohio weather has been very similar to your Michigan weather. I (along with just about everyone else) am so ready for spring.
Hugs :)
Lauren

Cari said...

Go Deb..Go Deb...Go Deb....cheering you on from sunny Florida. Nice thing about our weather is I can stitch outside...finally! I love Ann and certainly your commentary concerning Ann. Too funny. And your quilts are just beautiful. I love, love, love the basket one. You are one amazing lady. Hugs and stay safe.

Cari

Mary said...

That's a lot of stitching you've done, but I'm with you - hate the backstitching! How you manage to get so much done just amazes me - the quilts are all beautiful but my favourite would be the red one. Three weeks will be easy for you to finish. You go girl and I will pick up Elizabeth and try for the same.

valerie said...

You've gotten a lot accomplished on Ann...she looks great! You're getting there...you can do it! The quilts look wonderful too!

Mouse said...

wow you can certainly see what you have been stitching all those hours for :) and sorry about the two Y's .... think you will finish it for then fingers crossed :)the quilts are gorgeous too really bright and cheery :) love mouse xxxx

Jennifer Ann Fox said...

Ann looks great and so do all your quilts!

Myra said...

I just love that Bliss fabric line - all your quilts are so pretty but that one is my favorite. I can tell you have made quite a bit of progress on Ann and I love the colors in that piece.

Unknown said...

Ann is looking good. You certainly have more patience than I do because I would have given up long ago:))))

All your quilts are just beautiful. So very springlike and boy do we need that now!

Have a good week.

BrendaS said...

Hey Deb. The comment posted by Rick is really mine. I didn't realize my husband was signed in and I posted a comment under his name (LOL) Sorry about that.

Have a great day

Laurie in Iowa said...

You can do it Deb, I know you can. I'll be cheering you to the finish line on Ann.
Your quilts are fabulous.

Yvette said...

Yu really got a lot done this week. I adore all of your quilting projects, the colors are so fresh and happy. I was expecting to see some CWC, CWT and FW blocks this weekend. LOL!

Littlebit said...

OMG! I can definitely see progress, and what beautiful progress it is! I love the colors in this piece.
And your quilts! Beautiful! I may have to get the pattern to that basket weave one. I've never seen it and love it.

barbara said...

BAPs are really inspiring, though. Yours is fabulous, and you got SO much done!! :D

I love the quilts, especially Basket Case.

robindefender said...

I'm one of those demented souls who is only happy if she's working on a bap.... and I think your progress is going wonderfully! Keep at it, I can't wait to see a photo of your finished piece.

Sylvia said...

Those quilts you made are just wonderful. Your Ann is amazing also - you are making good progress on her - keep it up!

Annie said...

That looks like tons of progress. Those large color blocks can be daunting, but you've really stuck to it and it's looking fabulous.

Gorgeous quilting. Amazing that you had time for that too!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Do your happy dance! You've made quite a bit of progress. I can remember, do you always stitch one thing at a time?

Love the quilts, the colors are happy. The basketweave one is one I have not seen before either.

Spring has arrived here. We turned our air on once for a few hours, the grass is greening up, the sun is shining and pollen is absolutely everywhere!

Bertie said...

Wow Ann is growing!! very nice:)) Yes I know how you feel about starting new samplers so I succumbed to one only lol.
Your quilts are just gorgeous, very "spring"like in the snow:))

Anonymous said...

Woaw,your progress are great, i enjoy following them !

Alice said...

I really think you underrate your progress. You are really coming along! Love the quilts!

Kajsa said...

You have gotten so much done, I know that it doesn't feel like it but when I look at the pictures it clear to me. Love the quilts!

Sherry said...

You really have made progress on Ann! The colors in this piece are just out of this world! All the quilts are wonderful too! You really are a busy bee!

Katherine said...

I sense the frustration - but you handled it well with all the beautiful quilt work.

Natalia said...

I think your progress is great !! I love the BAP acronym !! LOL !! You do a beautiful work on the quilts too. I love the colors.

woolwoman said...

WOW Deb - you HAVE made great progress on Ann - YGG !!!!!!!! the quilts are just gorgeous - I can relate to not having much to say when you are working on BAP's - I'm in the same boat but I am nearing a finish on my Merrie Halloween rug - Maybe this will be the magic week I can happy dance too! hope you have a great week with no snow! Mel

merumo said...

I see Ann is growing very nice!! You put a lot of stitches in since the last post. I know she is a huge girl, but she will be stunning already, I can see! And look at you making that many quilts, too!! How did you do that!?I want to quilt, too, but I just can't while I'm stitching...

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Hey, GF - you know I'm your biggest fan and am truly cheering you on to a big Anne Finish!!!! Can't wait to see her!

Love the quilts - my favorite colors - red and pink. YUM!!!

I just don't know how you do all you do!

Michelle said...

You've really made a ton of progress on Ann. That fill in just takes forever, doesn't it? You're getting really close and I am cheering you on to a finish. I'm so wanting to start some of those pretty samplers I see everyone starting too! Love the quilt tops, especially the Basket Case quilt. They are great! You've been a busy gal!

Ranae said...

Deb!! you have made awesome progress, and those darn Y's sorry!!!
The quilts are so very pretty

Katrina said...

You are definitely making progress on Ann :-). The quilts are so pretty too.

Sally said...

You have made lots of progress on Ann. I am giggling at the thought of you like Snoopy! You're right about BAPS though. You seem to stitch forever and have so little progress which is why I've given up on my HAED piece for a while.

Lovely quilts.

krayolakris said...

Ann looks great! Doing a happy dance for you! Love the cheerful looking quilts too!

Lainey said...

Great progress on the lovely Deb and both your quilts are so pretty.

Nancy M said...

You don't just have BAP you are working on, but you have all the quilts too! Beautiful stitching all the way around!

Annie Beez said...

I think you got a LOT done on Ann, and I admire your determination. I just keep hopping from project to project, so I never get anything done. Love your quilts too!

marly said...

After watching the work on Ann, I think she'll be making an appearance on Ebay along with And They Sinned. Don't think I will have the patience. Yours is stunning, mine will never get out of her plastic bag! Congratulations on nearing completion of this beauty.

Siobhán said...

Ack! I can't believe I read your post but didn't comment. Or, maybe I did and this is a repeat. In any case, Ann is STUNNING and I am so proud of you for keeping the head down and the needle flying. Great job on the quilts, too! Go go go!

Isabelle said...

Your Ann Sampler is just gorgeous , Deb and how amazing are all your different quilts :-))
I wish you a nice week-end ,
Isa

Susan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susan said...

It's amazing to me how fabric choices can make quilt patterns look so different. I recognized your Turning Twenty right away (great colors!), but never would have guessed that your red quilt is Yellow Brick Road. I love, love, love Basket Case!

It looks like you've made a lot of progress on Ann. It's not a quick finish, but will definitely be worth the effort.

Brigitte said...

Little by little is progress, too. And I think it's clearly visible. This design must be a lot of work with all its backstitches adn the wording. Those things are never fast.
I *love* your quilts!

Mary said...

I can definitely see the progress you've made. It will be oh so worth it when finished! Keep on!

All of the quilts are lovely! Such a nice change from the tiny stitches of the sampler.

Nicky said...

Ann is growing for sure! I love your quilts - beautiful. The Bliss one is stunning - my new favourite fabric range. Looks a bit tricky though!