Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Beware of The Blade!

First up, I'll share the progress on my Wave Mini Quilts.  I've been feverishly working on them for days and days.  Just when I thought I was near the end...I had another idea!  How could I not make another one when all the fabric is already strewn across the dining room?!

'Motion of the Ocean' was the first post on this series of wall hangings and I'm happy to say I am in the final stages now!



I may have gone slightly mad!  I ended up making five total ~ I just couldn't stop!  That meditative trance I get in while doing this is sickening!!


This was the last one.  The one that needed to get the hell out of my head so I didn't hear those voices any longer!  The idea is a sunset on the ocean.  Ebb & Flow.  I believe I accomplished it for the most part.  In some ways it reminds me of Koi Fish in a pond too!


While I had the entire house to myself for a few hours yesterday, I set about quilting them all.  I change the thread a lot!  Besides the gradation of the colors, I like the thread to do the same.  Close, wavy organic lines work great for me!

Back

Making the binding is kind of a pain, but I like it to semi-match the piece. So I choose to torture myself with piecing it together.


This is the set of five before quilting.  My plan today is to finish the bindings.  

As long as I stay focused, alert and...
 BEWARE OF THE BLADE!

I know we've all done this at one time or another.  Nicked yourself with your rotary cutter. That little touch of the blade, the shock of it and then you look...and a tiny drop of red appears.  You know what I'm talking about!  

On the final cut I was going to make yesterday...seriously the last cut, I cut the fabric and as I was putting the cutter down in a blink of the eye the blade crossed over my hand as the blade should have retracted and simply sliced my wrist.  Shock & Awe!  Shock that I could be so careless and awe that that dull blade could be so sharp!


And so, my daughter fixed me up.  Called me a baby a few times, raised her voice and became Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest) forever more to me!



It looks harmless enough (which is what I though about my rotary cutter). Luckily it didn't go deep enough to hit that vein in the middle of it!

Safety first.  Which is why I got the retractable rotary cutter in the first place!  I guess I will chalk it up to a freak accident!  Be aware of the blade!!

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34 comments :

  1. Those look really lovely, and I especially like the sunset one.

    Beware the blade indeed! I chopped off my non-dominant thumb tip in November. They sewed it back on (ha!) but the nerves are still dodgy.

    Have a great day!

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    1. I feel like such a baby after hearing what you went through! OMG! I hope it gets better!

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  2. Jayne, they are fabulous!! SO glad you had to get that last one out of your mind - it is wonderful!!

    Ouch! I have gotten myself once (OK maybe twice) with the rotary cutter but luckily it was more like a paper cut than a major slice. It looks like it is going to heal well :) Battle scar for stories later ;)

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    1. I have to say I love making them! I've had the occasional slice before, but this one was the worst! It's sometimes hard to remember safety while quilting…who would think it would be so dangerous!

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  3. These wave pieces are wonderful - how beautifully you captured the light on the waves!

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  4. So totally in love with your wave pieces Jayne! The last is my favorite - it reminds of of the way the waves look just as the sun sinks down below the horizon. The fact that you are going to try and match the binding has me in awe.
    A Big Ouch of sympathy for you. The first time I tried to make a quilt was also the first time I used a rotary cutter. I cut off the tip of my pointer finger. It took me about ten more years to try again.

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    1. PS - Jayne, when you do close, wavy organic lines like that, do you start with all straight ones to set the parameters and then let them get wavy as you fill in closer and closer? I'm going to try and do my son's quilt like this and have been puzzling out how to attack it.

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    2. I am so happy that others 'get' where I was going with these sort of pieces! I see it in my head, but never know if it really comes across!

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  5. sorry if this posts twice!

    i love your wavy lines! i am going to add this to my list of quilting techniques that i want to try.

    i am sorry to hear about yours and the other commenters injuries. i too have had a run in with a rotary cutter. last summer, i was carrying my rotary cutter with the blade out (not smart!) and i dropped it on the top of my foot. it landed right on the tendon that moves the big toe. i was close to having tendon surgery, but luckily an mri revealed that the tendon was still hanging on by a thread. i had to wear one of those boot cast things for 7 weeks to prevent the tendon from severing more. eventually, i got some movement back in my toe, but it still is not perfect. those rotary cutter are dangerous!!

    cutpiecequilt.wordpress.com

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    1. I am so sorry about your rotary cutter accident. Much, much worse than my little bitty cut! How scary it must have been for you.

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  6. These are beautiful! But what a horrible injury, man!

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  7. Beautiful little quilts and fab quilting! Ouch

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    1. It comes with the territory I guess! Rotary cutters are serious business!

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  8. The sunset was worthy of being drawn out of your head. Love the quilting on these and looking forward to seeing them with the matchy binding on. I hear you on the issue of the blade.... I dropped mine not too long ago and cut my toe. Barely. Quilting in pajamas, but should also have had on some slippers!

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    1. It is always good to get that 'voice' out of your head! Now what to do with the other screaming voices! You never think those blades are that sharp…but even at their dullest…they are dangerous!

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  9. I am freaked out just reading these! Yikes. Please be careful everyone.

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    1. I know, some of the stories are scary! Mine was a scratch compared to those!

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    2. I know, some of the stories are scary! Mine was a scratch compared to those!

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  10. I love your wave mini quilts. They will look so special with the matched binding. It's worth your extra time. I've become lax with my rotary cutter the last few days--and then thought it was okay because the blades only been in there a few years. Dull, dull, dull. I did go out and finally buy a replacement blade this morning. I was officially over snipping tiny threads that the blade missed. Now, after your story, I'll be extra careful. (I'm actually kind of scared to use the new blade.) I guess I should have been careful with the dull blade, too, right? Thanks for the (graphic) reminder.

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    1. I think it is worth the extra time on the bindings. They won't be quite as detailed as the panel, but I feel its important enough to do!

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  11. Wow those are gorgeous! I especially love the red one. Looks like your daughter bandaged you up with some Kona snow :)

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    1. Thank you! My daughter did a pretty good job...I would never let her use precious fabric though!

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  12. These quilts are wonderful! Love your use of soft curves and color. Glad to hear you are healing well!

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  13. I really like these. The one with red dotted down the middle reminds me so much of the sun on water. Beautiful.

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    1. That was what I wanted it to be…sunset over the ocean! So glad you see it too!

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  14. I love the mini, but the cut, not so much. I hope you heal well, and look forward to seeing the quilts with their binding on.

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  15. Glad to see that the cut is healing well. Yes, got to be careful of those blades. The wave pieces are beautiful. Now I want to make one :)

    -Soma

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  16. Ouch! Yes, those blades are super SHARP! Sorry one got ya. Those motion quilts are so fabulous, I can see why you're addicted. Gotta make one myself...

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  17. Oh those mini's are beautiful and such a work of art. You're very clever and I'd love to hear about how you piece them together so they look so perfectly like a water. Jen

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    1. I enjoy trying to capture my vision in to a quilt!

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  18. these are beautiful! masterpieces all of them! sorry you cut yourself.

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