Monday, February 11, 2013

At the End of Easy Street...

 there was lots of piecing, lots of pinning and lots of pressing, but I persevered... and the top is complete:


I have been fickle about this quilt. I loved it. I loved it not. And back again.


When I was pressing it, which took almost an hour, I fell back in love with it. It gave me time to really study the design and the way Bonnie worked everything out. Really, the woman is brilliant. Still too much green in it for me, but the addition of the borders quiets them back down a bit. I just bordered it the same way that Bonnie did and I think it tamed the greens a tad.


However, Easy Street was not so easy for me. Don't know how so many of you managed to get it pieced so quickly. I was lagging behind the entire time and only by unflagging determination did I manage to get it pieced now.

Backing is next up. I don't have enough of anything for this big, old quilt. At first I thought I would back it with a gray to tone it all down, but then I stumbled upon this print.


It's 108" and at $9.80, I can back Easy Street for less than $40, thus it jumped into my cart and my dear UPS driver, Tony, will soon be delivering my purple backing via his trusty brown truck. Do you know that this is the first place we have ever lived where UPS would deliver packages to us? He's such a sweet man and he always brings such lovely packages that allow me to stay at the end of my dirt road and enjoy another amazing sky at sunset:


And yes, that's  a rock setting on top of my feeder. Without it, the wind tosses it off. When the wind gets feisty, it can empty a full feeder in less than 2 minutes. When the wind REALLY gets to howling, the rock is gone. It happened on Saturday...again. In the spring, I can go through a 40# sack of birdseed awfully fast. When that starts to happen, the birds are on their own, but they need worry not. I have yet to see a skinny bird around here. Come to think of it - the birds aren't the only thing packing a bit of extra fluff around here. Wish I could blame my fluff on feathers and birdseed...

21 comments:

Sarah said...

Well done on getting Easy Street finished. It certainly doesn't look easy to me! Lotsa little pieces. It looks great! I'm not that keen on Bonnie's colour choices, I'm thinking I might do it in more traditional red white blue and beige, Minnik and Simpson colours!

Doniene said...

I've let my camera lie idle - but love seeing your photos - so lovely and poignant!

Easy street is beautiful and the backing - yum, yum!! Aren't UPS driver's the best!! Ours comes right to the front door - even gets out and opens & closes the gate coming and going!! What a guy!!

Have a blessed, joyful day!

Judy Laquidara said...

Love your Easy Street and glad you finished it.

Unknown said...

I have all my setting triangles and corners done for easy street, but I haven't pieced a block yet, that's next, like you said I don't know how people got done so fast! This was my first Bonnie mystery quilt, and she said it was easy!!! Well I guess I'm just not that into piecing every little triange and flying geese to the exact size. I'm more of a make it bigger and cut it down kinda gal. But with her quilts I would still be trimming on all those flying geese we made. I'll perserver and get it done too, it jus won't be right away! I do love it though, I'm a fan of the limey greens, that's what got me interested in the first place. Bonnie has a new mystery starting in Quiltmaker magazine this month, I'm NOT jumping in, I'll watch it progress, and then decide!!!

juliehallfeldhaus said...

Another beautiful big quilt. You are my hero of Big quilts!! I finally got caught up on your posts always enjoy a peak into your life. No school here today we had a weekend blizzard. Thanks for the info on the horse tails pattern I already got it and have 3 blocks done. I posted about it yesterday. have a good day:)

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I love your easy street! The border color is perfect. Say Hi to Tony when he brings you your beautiful fabrics!!!

Nancy said...

Where on earth did you find a wide back for $9.80? It will be perfect for Easy Street.

I didn't make an Easy Street, but I've admired them on the blogs I read. Nice job on your finish!

Denise :) said...

I am so glad you're back in love with this again ... it's so very pretty and I love the black and white prints you used in there, too! Great job on the purple for the backing!!!

Between the birds, the squirrels, the coons, the possums, the chipmunks, and the deer, we go through feed almost as fast without the wind! LOL!! I don't care to discuss 'fluff', thank you very much! :)

Carolyn Sullivan said...

OMG no this is not reall an EAST quilt! I finished piecing and assemlbling the ES quilt last week. I'm debating on what to use for borders to TONE down that green! OMG it is a lot of green I really wich I had chosen a different color. ilike the purple as a backing... I'm not sure what I'm going to get for the back. I have 3 other quilts that need to be finished quilting b4 I get to EASY Street.

Cindy said...

Job well done. GREAT accomplishment.
Don't you just hate when things "jump" in a cart? Man, I'm trying to tame that ugly "jump" but it keeps jumping...like this morning from ebay. Just have to tell hubby it's not my fault.

sb said...

Congrats on your Easy Street! You are way ahead of me. I love the turquoise and purple borders.

Gwynette in NW Arkansas said...

Lime green is MY neutral!!! Love it somewhere in my quilts... well most of them!!

My Orca Bay mystery is lime, blues and yellows and I call it Orcas in the Carribean. It's like sunlight sparkling on the water and palms. Gee, this winter weather is getting to me!!!

I really like your Easy Street and aren't you glad you kept going. I'm curious where you fabric shop, also.... LOL!!!

little apple tally said...

This quilt is gorgeous. Looks really difficult to me. I don't think one would get bored while putting it together. Seasick maybe, but not bored.
And while I wouldn't pick the lime green to live with, it really works in this quilt. The blue border does rein it in.
Congrats on a fantastic job!

Mary E. Stephens said...

That's a beautiful quilt! It does not look easy, though. Wonder how it got that name? :-) I'm not against that color green in moderation, but I agree that there's a tad bit too much there. The border is a nice save on that.

Pauline said...

Nice work! I love your colors. I've done Bonnie's Orka Bay and Jamestown Landing. Both had lot's and lot's of pieces and were intense to sew, but the results were well worth it. Easy Street reminds me of spring on the coast. Bet you want to keep this one.

Michigan Gal said...

I couldn't resist--so sue me! lol That is sooo not what I was expecting. I only looked once so I'll have forgotten tomorrow what it looks like. :)

Beautiful, as usual. (I kind of like the green--I'm running away now)

Carol said...

WOWSER! Your Easy Street is amazing! It must have at least a million pieces! You did a fantastic job! The backing is wonderful.
I LOVE the bird feeder picture!

Dar said...

Good for you getting Easy Street top finished. I'm still plugging along. Still making a few A & B blocks. I felt it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be too, but I'm glad I'm doing it. My DH said it was one of the prettiest ones so far.

You sunset is beautiful. I know about wind blowing away a full feeder too!

NaomiG said...

That quilt is AMAZING! I am in love. And your bird feeder/sunset picture is absolutely wonderful too.

I've been contemplating a "trip around the world" quilt pattern... yeah. I have a few projects that must get done. Which means I will probably get started on my trip around the world in like... Oh, 2021 or something. Haha.

Karin said...

Another wonderful quilt you made!!! I love the colors you have picked for the Easy Street. A wonderful picture of your feeder and the colors fit to the quilt :)

Staci said...

Hi Karin! Finally get to use the computer for more than a couple minutes.

Your Easy Street is really pretty. It turned out so nicely--and how great that you found a bargain for the backing! That's wonderful.

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