Thursday, October 30, 2014

Pickle Dish a Completed Top!

Wowsers... it's official. My Pickle Dish Insanity is finally a completed quilt top! The days have been overcast and a bit gloomy at times so I'm having a terrible time getting a full-on shot of the entire quilt. Guess you'll have to make to with the pictures that didn't get sent to delete button paradise!
Pickle Dish Insanity
I wondered for a long time whether or not the strippy side borders would make it into this particular quilt. They seemed a bit over the top, but as soon as the inside of the quilt was finished, it became obvious why the strips were included. Without them, the pickle dishes looked unconstrained and actually, perhaps a bit lost. Maybe if the quilt wasn't so scrappy, the borders wouldn't be necessary?
A few rumples, but nothing that won't quilt out...
This quilt was started in December of 2012 after realizing that I'd basically pulled the same stack of fabrics out of my totes for the third time. Hmm.. Time to put those pieces together and see what they are wanting to tell me! On impulse I started cutting the pieces for this crazy, insane, momentous quilt. It just seemed like the right time and perhaps even, the right fabrics? although I didn't stop to agonize over that as I figured it'd be hard to ruin these particular fabrics.
Still so amazed that I got this far!
The pickle dish/wedding ring pattern is one that I've loved and adored forever, but been completely terrified to make. For Christmas of 1998, my mom gave me a gift certificate for a class on making wedding ring quilts. Okay. Wow! After the excitement tapered off I quickly broke out in cold chills because, well... 1. Along with the gift certificate was my very first rotary cutting mat and rotary cutter and little 'ol me with zero experience at using them. 2. The class(es) were an hour away. At night. In January. And I had a junker car, little money for fuel and we do live in snow country. Whew....  3. Then there was the little matter of having a baby less than a year old and me a nursing mother. I could not even fathom how that would work for three or four 2-hr. classes plus the hour drive both directions.

I might have cried about it a little. Pulled my hair. And it didn't help matters that my entire family thought I was nuts to not just jump all over the opportunity. Can anyone say 'overwhelmed?' I don't dive into the deep end people unless I know how to swim!! Those were just the immediate things that I started panicking about, but almost every quilter alive will sympathize with the fact that I was NOT at all ready to be taking a wedding ring class with my current level of experience. It still makes me laugh. Needless to say, I had to cancel my gift certificate and buy fabric instead. My mom apologized for her enthusiasm and I dealt with a mishmash of emotion ranging from a huge amount of relief to bitter disappointment.
Love the look of the scrappy melons
So it's always been in the back of my mind. On my quilty bucket list. Something to climb up to and conquer! You know, with a little bit of baggage to make things even more interesting.*wink
The scary hairy part of cutting off the extra bits...
After the quilt top was together, then I still had to cut the extra bits off the appliqued squares. I started doing that at night and then immediately realized that my middle aged eyes were not very trustworthy with a pair of scissors and about a million hours of sewing work. So crazy to take a quilt this complicated and then say, hey! How bout you whack at it with a pair of scissors now? lol  But now this part is done and I'm so very happy. You really have no idea unless maybe you're a quilter too.

35 comments:

  1. Wow! Another great finish! I am still working on mine and feel very much the same about this quilt. It is definitely one I would make again the graphic shapes are just so much fun!

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  2. I've really enjoyed watching you make this top, it's hard to believe it's finished. The stripey border brings everything together perfectly. Congratulations on a wonderful finish.

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  3. I too have enjoyed you making this one - the border goes with it completely., yes taking a class in the winter an hour drive away with all the reasons you gave would have gotten to me too.

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  4. It's just beautiful! Congrats on your finish! Now you can bask in it's awesomeness !!

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  5. What a great story!
    Your quilt look lovely!!!

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  6. And it looks AH MAZ ZING! Happy for you!

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  7. STUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!!!!!!!

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  8. It looks fabulous, Audrey! Well done on conquering your fear - you've done it SO well!

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  9. Beautiful! I don't remember if you used a pattern. Did you?
    Sometimes we have to look out for ourselves and just say "no". Great that you have finally made this quilt at the right time for you!

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  10. precioso !!!!
    me gusta, me gusta.........
    saludos

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  11. You did it! This is one I have liked very much as you progressed. Good to see the top completed.

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  12. It looks wonderful!! I can't wait to see the texture you add to it when you quilt it :0)

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  13. Wow! That is just a fabulous quilt top! Congratulations!

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  14. It's so beautiful! You must be so proud and happy. What an accomplishment.

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  15. Audrey its another beautiful quilt top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  16. It is such a strong and colourful quilt. Love the red you have put in. Makes it "sing".

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  17. Congratulations...it's absolutely gorgeous. I love all the colors and the way they just merge together so nicely. With that striped fabric, for a minute there I thought you'd quilted it already too, as there is just so much texture and depth in the photos.

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  18. congrats on finishing this wonderful quilt!!! looks great!

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  19. This is such a beauty, Audrey! I'm glad you had enough plaid for the border as well. I agree, too, that the piano keys are just right to frame all the blocks.

    I guess you're putting it away for now, but it will be nice to see it again once you start the quilting! Congratulations! This was a big one. :D

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  20. I've enjoyed following your quilting adventure on this one. Your choice of fabrics just makes this quilt so unique and interesting. You mastered it.

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  22. I love the fabrics and colors you used on your Pickle Dish! Congrats on a wonderful finish!

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  23. Beautiful !! and the border ties it together so nicely.

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  24. I am not copying you really but can I tell you that is also another quilt I have on the boil......great minds huh?!? I think your quilts are truely inspiration for me. Your sense of style and colour is wonderful.

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  25. What a great story, what a great quilt. You must be very proud and happy to have crossed this one off the list.

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  26. Love your Pickle Dish and the story that goes with it. Congrats on making the journey this far.

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  27. Fabulous finish, and I love everything about it! Nice to tackle a difficult project, then call it done. Congratulations!

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  28. I love the back story that went with this quilt. You did well to wait because what you've finished up with is so so pretty. Im dancing a jig for your finish!

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  29. Yay! It really is fantastic and thankfully you didn't do a big slice with the scissors- sounds like a trick i would do!

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  30. So happy for you - the strippy border is wonderful. Now, on to the quilting :)!

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  31. After reading the Scrap ABCs series I just had to go poking around. Woo hoo on the pickle dish finish! I too have a DWR on the "still to be finished pile" and I love when I see someone get theirs done -- it inspires me to get back to work! Will you be hand/Perle quilting this one as well? If so, I look forward to seeing it on a future "Slow Sunday Stitching" post!

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