Friday, September 19, 2014

Ta Da! Flowering Snowballs is Officially a Completed Top!

I didn't have a whole lot left to do in order to call this a completed quilt top. Something I always celebrate around here, because it feels like a finish even if it isn't really a FINISH finish (sandwiched, quilted and bound). I like to be excited at this particular phase and then later on as well, when it's well and truly done
I love my Flowering Snowball quilt top.....
I saw the 'Who's interested in doing a Flowering Snowball Along?' over at Molly Flanders Makerie early in the summer and started getting a little flutter in my belly. Excitement? Oh yes, count me in! It's something that in years past I would have ran from just as fast as my cowardly legs could carry me, but now? I'm not nearly afraid of curves as I used to be. Something about doing a bazillion drunkards path segments will do that to you. (Or even me.) And trust me when I say this, these are gentle curves.
The lights not great today so I moved it back upstairs.
Isn't that what people always say AFTER? It was soooo easy. Nothing to it! hehe But not the matching up the seams stuff. I'm not afraid to tell you that it took some work getting through that little part. A little unstitching. A bit of grinding the back teeth off.*wink  Just kidding. I never do that. And fyi, the quilt below has not even been ironed yet. I'm positive that all the seams will look simply amazing afterward......
A close up of some of my fabric choices....
Initially, I had a little trouble cutting into my creamy white prints that I love to hoard up, but I think it was a wise choice to use them. This quilt has some dark and moody fabrics that needed the light, bright, almost whites to wake everything up and/or give it a softer feel. These colors have really been speaking to me lately and I wanted one more chance to play with them before I moved on. No reason to cheat this quilt out of some great fabrics just because I have a tough time cutting into a couple very-hard-to-get (around here) fabrics.
I am really enjoying the secondary pattern in this quilt....
For awhile now, I've been trying to branch out a bit and use 'larger' prints too, which always makes me plenty nervous. They never look properly balanced in the low percentage usage that I end up with, mostly because I don't actually buy that much largish printed fabric! The left side of my brain whines about the balance but the right side revels in the discrepancies--wants to think it looks more vintage or antiquish. Well, how can we do the make-do thing right anymore when most of us have so much more than we need? Do you think the quilters of old WANTED to use those oddball mixes of fabric? They probably apologized for them every time they showed off their quilt and people like you and me think it's 'charming'!

Anyway, I don't think I'm going to add a border to this quilt top. I like the piecing right out to the edges and it's already 77" x 89". Plenty big enough for me! If you haven't already, go check out the other Flowering Snowball quilts in Molly's Wrap Up post. Beautiful! I didn't get finished in time to link up, but this quilt top still feels like a real winner.


24 comments:

  1. Love the secondary design ... and the fabrics you chose. Gorgeous!!

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  2. Love the little green squares. Lovely quilt!

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  3. Yay for you, it's beautiful. And will be even more so when the quilting is done. Wish mine was done, but alas, it's not even started.

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  4. It looks fantastic, I love the design and patterns it makes. Great to use some favourite fabrics too, makes it even more special. I agree that it doesn't really need a border, just let the design shine.

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  5. What a great pattern and great fabrics for a GREAT quilt!

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  6. I remember when you started this...what a beautiful finish. I love the soft coloring ...just gorgeous !!! :)

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  7. Great finish! I am drooling over all your fabric selections!

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  8. I love those little bright green pieces, they make the whole thing such fun!

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  9. It looks wonderful! I love the mix of prints with the little green squares. I have fabrics I have trouble cutting into as well... :0)

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  10. Great finish Audrey! Lots of wonderful prints in there. Mine is still waiting in line to be quilted :(

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  11. Of course youre happy with your flowering snowball, everything about it is wonderful!!! Are you tempted to bump it up in the handquilting queue?

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  12. Congratulations on a lovely top - beautiful colours!

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  13. Wonderful! I too used to be really afraid of curved piecing and now...not so much. You did a fabulous job and I am looking forward to seeing it quilted (and bound) :0

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  14. Fabulous! And so YOU. Looking forward to seeing how you quilt it.

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  15. Super top Audrey, I marvel at your ever inspiring blog posts and your fabulous outlook on life.

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  16. I love your quilt! I see now how much I would love to have my own!

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  17. Nice inspiration for some winter quilting. This is a beauty and you should be very proud!

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  18. Its fun to read another blogger's references to left-brain and right-brain function. I had an AHA moment when I discovered that I am left-brained and that is why I struggle with the creative, colour outside the lines, freedom that right-brainers use to choose colour and create something original. I am terrified of curves. But maybe not for long.

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  19. It really turned out wonderful! It does not look easy, but you persevered. :)

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  20. Oh this is so lovely--you have become an enabler by finishing this (lol)--I may have to make a snowball now! Like I don't have enough going--and to tell you the truth, I am in a dryish spell right now...cannot get myself into that sewing room--I HATE it when I get like this--but perhaps something is brewing inside my head that isn't ready to leap out at me yet...hopefully so...congrats on a lovely finish...those darkish colors are so warm and comforting looking hugs, Julierose

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