Nearly Insane revisited

About six years ago my mum started to make a Nearly Insane quilt.

I told her at the time that she had to finish it before she died, because I didn't want to have to finish it for her! That seems a bit harsh now, but back then she was only 75 and she was still doing a lot of quilting.  

Recently mum pulled all her blocks out again, and decided to add some sashing and be done with it.  Don't worry, I get it, and I wouldn't have pieced all those blocks either. 

Of course when we buy a book with many blocks in it we think we'll make them all, but then reality sets in and we lose interest.  I think mum's limited colour scheme of blue and white might have made it a bit harder too, although the version that inspired her to make this quilt was red and white - click here to see the red and white version made by Frances Meredith in UK. 

It's a great quilt, but it does require a high level of commitment.  At least mum's abbreviated version will be finished before Christmas I hope.

Here's a photo of the book incase any of you feel the urge to piece a lot of tiny blocks.  

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post below. 

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Mum's Nearly Insane quilt

Have you heard of the Nearly Insane quilt? I hadn't until I stumbled across it on Frances Meredith's blog Fabadashery.   

A few years ago mum was considering making a Dear Jane quilt, but I convinced her that Nearly Insane was a better option.  (I can't remember why now, but I did.)

I helped mum to order the book, and she made her first few blocks.  Unfortunately she hasn't added many more since that initial start, but each time I go to Auckland we get them out and have another look at them.  She has added some tiny grandmother's garden type blocks, which may or may not make the final cut. 

We browsed through the book again, and decided that rather than trying to machine piece the 6" blocks, it would be easier to English Paper Piece the more intricate blocks. 

We studied Frances' blog again, and took note of some of the modifications she has made to her blocks. 

from Fabadashery blog

Mum bookmarked the blocks she wants to make next, and hopefully she might make a few more Nearly Insane blocks over the winter months.

We also had a play with Lucy Boston! Although mum hand pieced a quilt years ago after a class with Jinny Beyer, she hasn't done any hand piecing lately.  I'm becoming a bit of a convert, so I demonstrated how she could hand piece Lucy Boston if she wanted to.

EEP at the top, hand piecing at the front

 So that's another project started - for mum, not me. 

It rained quite a bit while I was in Auckland so I haven't got any pretty garden photos to share.  Here's a couple taken on my last day.

That's a reflection from the light, not a UFO

The tall tree is a Cabbage Tree - it doesn't grow cabbages. Cordyline australis