I'm always stalking the clearance bin at the {somewhat} local quilt store for backing fabrics. It's much easier to pay $4-6 a yard for the back of our quilts rather than $9-12, right? So when this pretty floral caught my eye, I went ahead and bought the rest of the bolt {not quite 3 yards}.
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| Muddy Creek |
I'm not at all shy about mixing and matching my backing fabrics so I generally buy whatever odd measurements they have left--I'll figure it out later. Anyway, imagine my surprise when I was combing through my completed quilt top drawers and saw how perfectly this floral went with my
Muddy Creek quilt! Bingo! Adding this border not only lightened and brightened the quilt but it also brought it up to approximately 60" x 70", a much better size than it was. Oh I am such a sucker for these sweet floral prints and of course there's still a
little chunk left for use as backing...
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| A little bit of prep work... |
I've also made a few tentative plans for going forward with my Scrappy Lone Star quilt. For some reason I have it in my mind that this quilt needs to be a rectangle instead of a square. This could be problematic as the lone star is very much the focal point and quite square-ish. Hmm....
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| Scrappy Lone Star |
What to do, what to do. First off, I added the narrow red border, thicker on the vertical length and next I'm going to add a green/blue border to the top and bottom of the quilt. My basic plan is to wing it! Uh huh. That and add some nifty words and maybe a funky vine too. We'll see. I must be
fairly committed as I went to the work on preparing all the bias vine already!
Looking at these two quilts, I am just amazed at how diverse my tastes are these days. Both of these completely melt my heart and yet they are very different. Isn't that a beautiful thing? Quilting opens up the doors to so much opportunity to play and go where our curiosity leads us. What about you. Do you feel that your quilting style is expanding with your experience or is it just changing to something else altogether than where you started? I know there are a few things that I've left behind {style-wise} in my journey, but mostly I feel like I'm carrying the very best parts with me, step by step, quilt by quilt.
What a good plan to morph your square into a rectangle. I love vines, have never made one but keep meaning to try.
ReplyDeleteI like the diversity of your quilts. I feel the same way - my style expands daily. Ha.
I like rectangle quilts better too!! Just can't wait to see your progress!!
ReplyDeleteOh how perfect you couldn't have designed it yourself and done better!!!!! Your a real sucker for basket blocks aren't you????????? They are yummy!
ReplyDeleteI love watching the range of your work - these two pieces are a good example! Different palettes, different approaches, same artist. Lovely work.
ReplyDeleteI know that I'm working a lot brighter than I used to, and my color combinations are definitely braver (and goofier) than what I was doing years ago. I think I'm finally learning just to have fun.
Both beautiful, both you! I can't wait to see how you transform the lone star into a rectangle. My own quilts have definitely changed over the years, and I have quilts on my to-do list that are completely different from each other and from anything I have made so far. It is definitely part of the fun of quilting.
ReplyDeleteBoth quilts are lookin wonderful! I so enjoy following along on your quilt journeys! I don't know if my style has changed, but my horizons have certainly broadened. I love Civil War reproductions to bright cheery quilts.
ReplyDeleteMy colours have changed quite dramatically between what I used to buy in the first years of my quilting journey and now. I am finding that I am really loving the clean clear bright modern colours now.
ReplyDeleteYou've picked a perfect border for your baskets.
I really like making quilts that are very different from each other too - it makes it interesting doesn't it. I always keep my eyes out for sale fabric for backs but I prefer to use one kind and not mix them up. Red Rock Threads is still having a lot of fabric on sale for 2.95 a yard you might want to check it out.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I do have a preferred style, it keeps things interesting to try something different every now and then. I think your lone star looks great as is, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with it.
ReplyDeleteThe floral looks brilliant on Muddy Creek, I love it! Love your Lone Star too, the colours are gorgeous. I find it a conundrum too sometimes, that the styles I love can be so varied. I have realised lately that I am mostly a repro lover, but then other things, such as Kaffe Fasset for example, catch my eye too. I love the IDEA of differing styles and colours - but then wonder how I am ever going to use them in my home together. Sometimes I have joked to my friends that I need a house with about 10 bedrooms so I can decorate them in all the different styles I love - alas, I have 2.... still, at the end of the day, I guess it is fun to work with such different styles and colours, it makes life interesting perhaps.....
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. It amazes me at the range of quilts that appeal to me at different times. We quilters are very diverse, at least I think we should be. The lone star is a beautiful start. Can't wait to see what's next.
ReplyDeleteThe floral border is perfect! It's safe to say that I've probably never paid full price for a backing. I love snagging a bargain for a backing too. I may have a few stashed away for future backings. 'wink' I love the variety of your work as well, you certainly can't be accused of being in a rut! Maybe a row of small stars on only two sides of the lone star (in a future round) would work to make it more rectangle as well. It's something I've always wanted to try, and if you do it for me then I won't have to! No pressure. LOL
ReplyDeleteLove both of your quilt tops and the idea you have for the scrappy lone star sounds perfec. Love the colors and fabrics, flower fabrics are just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Sylvia
Fess up, Audrey. Just how many quilt tops hang out in your quilt "drawers?" And I am all over the map in quilting styles from repro to be modern to sweet and funky. It depends on the recipient and intended use. I would like to explore how the Aussies pick their fabrics. There's something organic about their fabric selection that I haven't been able to figure out. I enjoy your selection process as well. The floral border is just the right touch.
ReplyDeleteI have just started only a few years ago but am interested in very different styles and colors and I love all of them. I love your different quilts. Greetings
ReplyDeleteI forgot about Muddy Creek...loving it all over again :)
ReplyDeleteI forgot about Muddy Creek...loving it all over again :)
ReplyDeletegreat quilts - your scrappy lone star is fun I love that you used different fabrics and the fun floral!
ReplyDeleteThe floral does work well with the Muddy Creek quilt. Score!
ReplyDeleteThe "backing" was perfect for a border!!
ReplyDeleteThat pink and cream print couldn't be any more perfect. And I'm with you on preferring rectangular quilts to square quilts. It looks like you've got a wonderful plan in place, just waiting to see it reveal itself.
ReplyDeleteA quilter with multiple quilting personalities -- you are MY kind of people!
ReplyDeleteYou know those quilters whose work you always recognize, I sometimes worry that my quilts are not recognizably mine. But there is so much freedom on that!
Keep it up!
I'm interested to see how you proceed on turning the square into a rectangle. I have a few that are square and I have wished they were rectangle. Love the colors and fabrics in Muddy Creek. Always fun when the perfect fabric is right at hand!
ReplyDeleteBoth quilts are beautiful, and personal, and unique. If all your quilts looked the same, you d be so bored!
ReplyDeleteYou found the perfect way to finish off Muddy Creek and I like the plans for Lone Star a lot. I think it's like learning a language - as you learn more and more vocab you can express yourself better, so it's a progression rather than a leap from one thing to the next.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog faithfully has done more to show me possibilities and expanding my color horizons than any book or quilting magazine so far. But not to fear, my quilts will never be copycats cause I'm not nearly as infatuated with applique as you are! I should add hastily, I love applique, just not the time it takes to do it. Time gets to be a more serious issue for persons of a certain age, lol.
ReplyDeleteI think you're a "fly by the seat of your pants" quilter. The very best kind. Can you imagine sticking to one style of quilting? Half the fun is being distracted by something shiny, or in our case something floral, or striped, or dotty........
ReplyDeleteyou are a serendipitous quilter for sure...love both your projects...and that floral border? perfect!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if my quilting has style. So not sure if it is changing.
ReplyDeleteI like winging it too. Can't wait to see what you do with the star. And who doesn't love a quilt with baskets????
Ooooh, fabric is so cheap over there. I thought I got a bargain on the weekend only paying $15.00 per metre - it's usually $23.00 per metre! It goes so well with that quilt. Can't wait to see what you do with the star.......
ReplyDelete