Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Yay! Another Quilt Crossed Off the List!

Another finish today! This one is 'An Uncertain Crossroad' started back in March 2015 as a Marsala color challenge. I'd been slowly collecting the drab, clay/maroon looking fat quarters for awhile {who knows why?} and jumped at the chance to incorporate them into a quilt.
Uncertain Crossroad is finished!
The quilt design had a couple influences {click on the link above for the first idea}. Together with the color challenge and a bit of secondary inspiration, it just sort of melded into something that felt right. I had a lot of fun stitching this particular quilt and the brighter, sparky circles still make me smile.
So graphic and fun!
One thing I've definitely discovered over the years is this: if you are continually drawn in to a specific color or color family and you don't know why? Don't sweat it. Just buy the occasional fat quarter in those colors and eventually, maybe even a couple years down the road, you really will find a way to build them into a quilt! It's actually quite fascinating to dig challenging prints/colors out of the stash totes and finally be able to bring them to life.
Love it laying in the sunlight....
Sometimes in very surprising ways! You can see that the color family {mixed medium and dark tones} of marsala is used as the background fabrics with the lighter strippy cross sections in what I'd call the lighter version of marsala--mostly mauves, light and/or dull pinks. Some of those fabrics seemed destined to remain in the stash totes forever as they were so... boring! Surprise, surprise!

Used in this pattern, all the colors, including the sparky colors used for contrast, make for a bold, unexpectedly graphic quilt. Who would have thunk it that marsala could be used in such a way! I certainly never would have.

I have returned again and again to Roderick Kiracofe's 'Unconventional and Unexpected' book as a way to soak in some wonderful make-do quilts and ponder the effects of this type of piecing. It's something I personally adore and have tried to incorporate into my quilting. If you click on that second link above, it will take you to a older post with the inspiration from this book. I bought the book sight unseen and have never, ever regretted it. Some books are important and meant to be on our bookshelves.
Love the circus poster below where the tiger is roaring! 
This quilt was deliberately put together in a 'not quite perfect' manner that nonetheless required matching cut-to-size background units. I would have to say, this is one of my favorite quilts ever made, in how the various prints ebb and flow throughout the quilt. The effect is probably more obvious in person, but there is a great, {subtle} background texture that would not be possible with a one-fabric background. Or probably the hand quilting?*wink
A close up of the circles and that perfect striped binding!
I was amazed to find the perfect striped fabric for binding in the bottom of one of my totes. I couldn't have found anything more perfect for the quilt, bought for a border that never worked out! Finishing this quilt makes me think about other ways to play with backgrounds and even possibly the idea of attempting another color challenge quilt some day. It feels like a good finish. Not giving this one away!




20 comments:

  1. you are steadily moving on - how many on your list of 17 do you still have to do?

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  2. Such a fun and lively quilt.

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  3. I am so glad for your finish...it is definitely a fun and unique quilt!

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  4. great finish the colours work so well together good that you were collecting these fat quarters and found a way to use them so well. I find I buy green, orange, yellow and purple a lot but tend to buy in half metre lengths and if really like it I get a metre, will never use it all! Have said no more till I go to the big quilt show in august

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  5. Love the varied background in the Marsala range...this is a lovely finish...i don't blame you for keeping this one....hugs, Julierose

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  6. You definitely have a winner with this finish, I wouldn't be giving it away either! I'm marveling at the level of organization it must have taken to keep all those block components in order as you appliqued the circle segments in place.

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  7. Another great finish! And, the funny thing is maroon is my least favorite color. I avoid it most of the time and you have gone and made it look superb!

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    1. Mauve is my least favorite color and you managed to make that work too.

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  8. You are motoring through your 'to do' list Audrey! I love the warm colours, the subtle changes in the background fabrics, and I love that those circles don't all match up perfectly. Did you draw up the pattern block yourself?

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  9. I remember when you dove into this quilt. It's an awesome finsh and those circles do make you smile. Yay! Another finish!

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  10. I can see how these colors work so well together. Good advice to collect small amounts of colors you like. This is one of my favorite quilts. I love the graphic quality and the pops of bright color against duller marsala. Congratulations.

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  11. I'm so jealous that you've finished another project (and a great one at that!). It's turtle speed around here unfortunately. I can feel the satisfaction in your words. You like this quilt a lot and loved the whole process. I'm sure glad you're keeping this one for yourself.

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  12. "Who knows why?" LOL! Well, it is a good background...

    But seriously, I think you aced the challenge to make Marsala new and relevant. I LOVE the lack of a border, the block, and the warm but fresh feel of the quilt. This is another one where the contrast between the cozy big stitch quilting and the graphic block really amplifies them both. You're on a roll! You must be doing well with your plan to finish more than you start this year. :D

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  13. That was way back in 2015 when I saw this masterpiece? Time flies! I can see why you won't give this one away! I like crossroads blocks to begin with but the circles were the icing on the cake. Congrats on another finish!

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  14. This is what I love about quilting: fabrics in a colour that I'm not especially drawn to can still become a quilt I absolutely love. This has such a great feel and the bright blues are the perfect way to give things a little lift. I think that the subtle changes and range of your maroon fabrics gives a lovely warm feel.

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  15. Oh my goodness! How I love those colors together. And circles! I am drawn to circular quilt designs.

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  16. Gorgeous and do you ever sell any of your quilts or give them away to a steady line up of taker's. This one is a beauty I agree!

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