Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Let's Just Call It a Finished Quilt Top and Move On....

I never just sit down and sew something from start to finish. Those books about making a quilt in a weekend? Uh uh. Not happening around here. The initial sew-on stage of the binding is done on my Scrap Basket quilt and now ready for some hand sewing. At the same time, I've been sewing my Quarter Circles--Round #2 blocks into vertical rows.
The new quilt and the old quilt
Shh.... don't tell anyone, but I sewed all my circles onto the background fabric presenting in the wrong direction {back when I was doing the applique work}. Yep. That's me. The original plan was to center the circle with the 'x' pointing into the corner of the blocks, not having them be on point to get that effect. Imagine my surprise when I finally pulled them out to sew into  rows!
Not all sewn together yet, but checking things out
Whoops! New plan. Way too many of those guys to unpick and start a do-over! So you know me, I scrambled around and came up with a new plan. It's not quite what I imagined, but it will do.
Looking at a possible outside yellow border
And all along, regardless of how the blocks were sewn together, I thought the outside border would be more of that gorgeous yellow fabric. I could just see a bright, goldy looking border making this quilt look more antiquish, more of a rooted-in-days-of-yesteryear sort of quilt. Yeah. That's not working either. So I played with the idea of more brown on the top and bottom of the quilt and thought about how to extend the quilt a bit. But I don't have the right color brown fabric so it ends up looking kind of 'meh'. And I don't want anymore piecing on the border or shockers, even any applique.
Or a brown? 
Which makes the quilt a funny size if you look at the quilt in the vertical row position-- 85" x 78". So I'm contemplating a change in the technicalities without actually changing {or adding} a single thing to the quilt. Looking at the quilt with the rows in the horizontal position, I now have a 78" x 85" sized quilt. Really, it's all in how you look at things. Now it's a perfectly acceptable size. Nothing weird here at all people.
Maybe this is how my quilt should present?
And then all of a sudden I was just done with the entire project. Who cares about weird sizing anyway? It feels finished. Completely. Done. With. Me.
A finished quilt top for now....
Unless of course I run across some great purpley looking brown that I can tack on to two sides of the quilt. Ack! It must be a disease.....

18 comments:

  1. We all have the disease, but who is looking for a cure? Love your process.

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  2. Mistakes (or miscalculations) always make the best quilts. I love horizontal strippy quilts and this one is sensational!

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  3. I have so many weird sized quilts it's not funny. I guess I just run out of steam and call it done!

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  4. love it! I have never understood the concept of making a quilt in a weekend - why rush it? I don't understand that take your time and enjoy

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  5. To be honest, I don't worry about quilt sizes too much, unless it's for something specific. As you know, they just tell you when they're done. Either way, vertical or horizontal your quilt looks great. I love the yellow as the background for those circles. Too bad the yellow didn't work out for the borders. Maybe next time.

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  6. Eh, some quilts just need to marinate now and then. And whatever size they end up is the size they're supposed to be.

    (Red?)

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  7. The only reason I worry about quilt sizes is when I'm making a quilt for my (husband-made) bed. Then it needs to be wide. He's not wide - the bed is. The yellow fabric you're using is a nice touch.

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  8. I love it when you share your design/ thought processes! This quilt is beautiful, really looks like an antique beauty.

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  9. Nope, nothing wierd here at all! You make me giggle, thank you!

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  10. I can't make a quilt in a month, never mind a weekend. But I know that 'done' feeling and when you get it you just have to go with it. This looks pretty good horizontal to me.

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  11. A great finish! I love that yellow, very antique-y! And I enjoyed reading about your processes! I love the 'row-by-row' layout!

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  12. Some quilts are just meant to be a certain way, and they tell you so! No point in arguing with the quilt. I think it looks great either way, and DONE is better than perfect!

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  13. No matter which way you look at it...horizontal or vertical...I think you accomplished your goal of an antique look.

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  14. I know you'll eventually find a solution to the border but I like the horizontal setting!

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  15. I love it side on, and actually I don't mind the yellow border.......but that's me and yellow!

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  16. No rushing here either - no quilt in a day, EVER. Maybe even not a quilt in a year. I really love this quilt just the way it is, when it's done for you then it's done, period!

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